History & Tradition

Resurrection-St. Paul School originated at St. Paul’s Church in downtown Ellicott City.  Father Michael Ryan opened the doors of St. Paul Parish School on September 11, 1922. Nuns from the School Sisters of Notre Dame ran the school. In the early years of operation, the sisters lived in the two floors above the school.  The school started with six grades and a total of 75 students.  A seventh grade was added in 1923 and an eighth grade was added in 1924, expanding the school with twelve graduates completing their schooling on June 12, 1925. 

Due to the outgrowth of St. Paul School in Ellicott City, a new school was built on the Paulskirk Drive property and its doors opened to students in September 1966. The school name was changed to St. Paul the Apostle School and remained such until 1974 when the Church of the Resurrection was incorporated. At this time, once again, the school name was changed to Resurrection School. During the mid to late 1980s, an intense study of all parochial elementary schools was conducted throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore, spearheaded by the Division of Catholic Schools at the request of Archbishop William Borders. The study resulted in the Archbishop’s Plan for the Future of Catholic Schools. In keeping with this plan, effective January 1990, the school became separately incorporated as an inter-parish school, entitled Resurrection-St. Paul School. Both St. Paul and the Church of the Resurrection parishes support it.

History & Tradition

In September 2009, the U.S. Department of Education recognized Resurrection-St. Paul School as a National Blue Ribbon of Excellence School. Also in the fall of that year, a PreK program for 4 year olds was added, and in 2017, a program for three year olds was added.  In 2011, the Archdiocese of Baltimore named Resurrection-St. Paul School one of seven STEM schools.  RSPS was certified as a STEM school by Cognia in 2019.  Furthermore, RSPS was awarded a Maryland Green School designation that was renewed in May of 2019.  

In accordance with standards set by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Resurrection-St. Paul School met the requirements established by the Cognia Accreditation Commission and Board of Trustees and was thereby accredited by the NCA Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, the Northwest Accreditation Commission and the SACS Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. This accreditation is valid through June 30, 2022.

In January 2022, our school will proudly celebrate its 100th year of providing Catholic Education in the Ellicott City area.

A Trip Down Memory Lane … The History of Resurrection-St. Paul School

Thanks to Ryan Fitzgibbons for  Kristalee Mellott for the creation and production of this video, and thank you to out narrator Abigail Kehoe (RSPS Class of 2023).