Merger and Expansion Years

In 1983, Bishop Louis Gelineau announced that two neighboring all-girl schools, St. Mary’s of the Visitation and St. Patrick’s High School, would be merged into La Salle Academy. For the first time in its history, beginning in the fall of 1984, La Salle Academy would be a coeducational school. La Salle’s student population quickly assimilated to the change and soon the school had its first female class president and class valedictorian. Three years later La Salle adopted the president-principal model of leadership for the school. Brother Jerome Corrigan became La Salle Academy’s first president and Brother Frederick Mueller took on the mantle of principal. The presence of young women at La Salle greatly added to its rich tradition. La Salle wouldn’t be the school it is today without the change. As Bro. Michael Mc Kenery, La Salle’s second president, stated:  “I am more convinced than ever that coeducation was the right choice for La Salle at the right time.”
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La Salle Academy is a high school rich in history and grounded in the person and teachings of Jesus and the Catholic faith, which are core to the school's life and culture. The De La Salle Middle School provides a strong holistic foundation for students to transition into high school. The high school and middle school provide students of diverse ethnic, economic, and religious backgrounds, a community to foster growth in the tradition of St. John Baptist de La Salle’s ideals of faith, service, and community.