St. Pius X High School

St. Pius X High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was established in 1956. It is administered in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe.The school is located on Albuquerque's west side, on the campus that was formerly the location of the University of Albuquerque. St. Pius X is a co-educational institution that serves over 900 students in grades nine through twelve.HistorySt. Pius X High School was founded in 1956 with 116 freshmen composing its first class. St. Pius was initially housed at St Charles Elementary School until the completion of new high school buildings in the Northeast Heights in 1959. In 1986, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe announced that St. Pius X would be move campuses to Albuquerque’s west side to occupy the site of the University of Albuquerque, scheduled to close that year. In 1988, this new 40-acre campus welcomed its first students.Upon moving to the west side campus, St Pius has renovated the existing buildings of Assumption Hall and St Francis, and completed construction of a new science building, gymnasium, and St Basil Hall (2000).MascotThe name is a contraction of Pope Pius X’s name Giuseppe Sarto. It is used because the patron saint embodied the characteristics of charity, good humor, fair play, and faithfulness—the same high ideals that St. Pius X High School hopes to instill in its students. In Italian, Sarto is translated as “Tailor.” Thus a Sartan is one who tailors his life after these ideals and actively supports his motto: “To restore all things in Christ.”Student Body StatisticsSt. Pius High School has a student body that closely mirrors the ethnic makeup of Albuquerque. 55 percent Hispanic, 40 percent Anglo, four percent Native American, one percent African American and Asian. Though the vast majority of students at St. Pius X are Catholic, the school is open to students of all faiths, offering a college prep education, along with total, supportive Christian spiritual formation. Tuition has risen steadily over the years to reach around $10,000 for the 2011-12 school year. St. Pius X is Albuquerque's only Roman Catholic high school, and one of the few private institutions.