Holy Savior Menard Central High School is the Roman Catholic parochial secondary institution of learning in Alexandria, the seat of Rapides Parish and the largest city in central Louisiana. The Menard mission statement accents: Faith Development, Academic Excellence, and Service. Menard, operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana, enrolls approximately six hundred students. The school also enrolls non-Catholics. It offers standard instruction in mathematics, science, history, English, social studies, and the arts. Catholicism, including the Old Testament and New Testament and Catholic morality, is taught in each grade as a required class. Mass is celebrated weekly, and each class makes an annual trip to the nearby Maryhill Retreat Center. In athletics, Menard offers baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and track and field. The team name is the "Eagles". The nearly forty faculty members come from diverse backgrounds. Most are Catholic, but non-Catholics are frequently employed to teach at Menard. Parental involvement in the youngsters' education is encouraged through the Menard Parent Teacher Club.
History
Holy Savior Menard's roots date back to 1884, when Father L. Menard became the eleventh pastor of St. Francis Xavier Commercial College Catholic Church. On October 10, 1892, the works and prayers of Father Menard became a reality with the construction of the first school for boys in Alexandria. It was located on Second and Ogden Streets and was named the St. Francis Xavier Commercial College. In 1903, the school was rebuilt on the corner of Fourth and Beauregard Streets, next to the present St. Francis Xavier Cathedral. In 1915, the school was raised ten feet to provide a third floor and additional floor space to handle the increased enrollment. Father Menard was also responsible for bringing the Sisters of Divine Providence and the Brothers of the Sacred Heart to Alexandria. The sisters taught at the St. Francis Xavier Girls Academy, founded in 1894, and later at Providence Academy, Providence Central, and currently at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Elementary School. The Brothers taught at the Commercial College and later at Menard Memorial High School. In June 1922, the Elliot Street property between 19th and 20th Streets was acquired, and after thirty-one years, the St. Francis Xavier Commercial College ceased to exist, being renamed Menard Memorial, after Father Menard. Menard Memorial operated at the Elliot Street location as a school for boys until 1966. In 1914, St. Francis Xavier transformed into Providence Academy for Girls and opened on the grounds of the present dayOur Lady of Prompt Succor Church. In 1949, Providence Academy became Providence Central for girls in grades nine to twelve, and Our Lady of Prompt Succor for boys and girls in kindergarten to eighth grade. In 1934, the Menard Memorial school colors were changed from purple and gold to green, gold, and white, and the mascot was changed from the bulldogs to the eagles. The year 1966 marked the last year for the name "Menard Memorial." In that year, the school combined with Providence Central to become Holy Savior Menard Central High School. The new facility at its present location on Coliseum Boulevard opened in the fall of 1967. In 1988, in cooperation with Our Lady of Prompt Succor, the seventh and eighth grades were moved from Prompt Succor to Menard. Holy Savior Menard is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and by the Louisiana State Department of Education. The School is affiliated with the National Catholic Educational Association, The National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Athletic teams participate under the auspices of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. Holy Savior Menard has graduated more than six thousand students. One of the school's greatest assets is the achievements of its graduates. Many prominent leaders in the Central Louisiana area are among students nurtured through their crucial adolescent years by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, the Sisters of Divine Providence, and the dedicated lay faculty and staff members at Holy Savior Menard Central High School.
