History

St. Dominic Elementary School is located in the Lakeview neighborhood of New Orleans. Before 1920, living in Lakeview was rural in nature. The neighborhood was characterized by open fields and canals perfect for hunting and fishing. Following World War I, Lakeview evolved into a very popular section of the city. ­­

To meet the needs of the growing Lakeview neighborhood, St. Dominic Parish was established by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. St. Dominic School opened in 1924 with 133 students in grades one through four. Originally, the church and school were located on Harrison Avenue at the corner of Milne Street.  The growth of the neighborhood dictated the need for a larger church and school complex.  The present location of the complex was selected, and the present-day gym was originally built as the church. The main school building was dedicated in 1949 and was followed by the existing church, primary building, and conversion of the old convent as a middle school complex.

September 2005 nearly erased the efforts of the prior seventy-five years to develop the campus of St. Dominic School. All buildings in the St. Dominic church and school complex were flooded with nine feet of saltwater which did not recede for nearly three weeks. This tragedy was compounded by the realization that almost every student had been left homeless and scattered in schools across the United States. The devastation unified the school community and highlighted the special bond that everyone in the St. Dominic Family shares. Hurricane Katrina brought us closer together and created a bond that is unlike what most elementary schools experience. We believe: one team, one family!  

St. Dominic School quickly started a plan for recovery. National Guard units, enlisted in the recovery of the school and parish, were assigned the task of emptying all six buildings. St. Dominic temporarily reopened in an unused school building (Holy Rosary Campus) in a part of the city that had not flooded. By October 2005, St. Dominic School reopened at its new location to returning students and those from other schools that could not reopen. Referred to as the temporary "Dragon's Den," the temporary campus became a home away from home for the remainder of the year. August 2006 saw the return of St. Dominic School to its home in Lakeview.