Through the generosity of Mrs. Libby Reynolds, ground was
donated and to be used for St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Parish.
Once the new church was completed, the corner stone for St. Thomas
the Apostle School was laid in June 1927. In September of that year,
the school was opened with an enrollment of one hundred students,
supervised by the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois.
Today, St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School is a school of
approximately 400 students in preschool through eighth grade. Our
state-accredited programs and our community service have been an
important part of the Crystal Lake community for over eighty years.
Over the years, the physical plant has changed. As Crystal Lake has
grown, so too has the Parish and school. More land was obtained for
the school and a second building was added in 1958. The two school
buildings were connected about fifteen years ago also adding a new
gymnasium, music room, and science lab. This was accomplished
through the City of Crystal Lake’s willingness to dedicate that
portion of King Street that separated both buildings and agreeing
with our plan to build on this space. This created a beautiful
courtyard as home to the original concrete St. Thomas statue that
was once part of Old St. Thomas the Apostle Church’s exterior.
We are continually upgrading the facilities. Recent
improvements include a new wood gym floor, a new roof on the King
Street building, new ceiling and lighting in the cafeteria, as well
as a remodeled main entry way that allows for more safety at the
school.
