History

St. Brigid School has been in existence in Xenia, Ohio since 1855. It was staffed by lay teachers until 1879. That year the Sisters of Charity arrived from Cincinnati and were a presence at St. Brigid until 2005.

St. Brigid Commercial High School was opened in 1905 and operated until 1958 when it closed due to low enrollment numbers. A newer school was built on Fairground Rd. in 1956. First through fourth graders attended the new school while fifth through eighth graders continued to attend the old school on what was then West St.

The 1974 Xenia tornado destroyed the church, West St. school, and the convent. Students in grades five through eight were transported to the vacant St. Mary’s parish school in east Dayton to complete the 1973-74 school year and for two more years for the 1974-75 and 1975-76 school years. Classes for grades one through four were not interrupted at the undamaged Fairground Rd. school. In 1976 the Fairground Rd. site was expanded to accommodate all classes from first through eighth grade as well as the parish church. Kindergarten classes were added in the 1979-1980 school year, and a preschool was added in the fall of 2007.

As a result of the 1996 Parish Expansion Program, two new structures were added to the school campus. A dining room was added to the main school building, and a Parish Activity Center (PAC) was built behind the school. The PAC and the school are connected by a 50 foot covered walkway. The PAC includes a gymnasium, kitchen, storage areas, and office space. A remodeled school library was completed in 1996 and again remodeled in 2008.

The 2007-2008 school year brought the opening of a preschool for three, four, and five year olds.

Safety

St. Brigid practices routine safety measures in its operations and has not experienced any safety situations aside from minor playground injuries. Drills for tornado and fire emergencies are held on a regular basis. Lock-down protocol has been established as an additional precaution. For additional security, there are 18 security cameras placed throughout the campus, both inside and out.

All visitors to the school are required to check into the office and sign a logbook. They are given an identifying badge to wear during their stay. The buildings are locked to outside access during the school day. To be permitted into the building, a person must ring a buzzer. The office can see the person wishing to enter through one of the cameras mounted at each door. If the person wishing to enter is not known, office staff may use a speaker to ask for name and purpose of the visit before the door is unlocked.