Saint Francis School in Honolulu, Hawai‘i

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

 is located in the neighborhood of Mānoa

Manoa

thumb|240px|right|Vintage shot of University of Hawaii, Manoa240px|thumb|right|Vintage photo of Manoa ValleyMānoa is a valley and a residential neighborhood of Honolulu CDP of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States; the community is approximately three miles east and inland from...

 next to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

University of Hawaii at Manoa

The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...

. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu

Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu

The Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, officially in Latin Dioecesis Honoluluensis, is an ecclesiastical territory or particular church of the Catholic Church in the United States...

, it is a Roman Catholic school serving boys and girls in grades Pre-K through 2nd and 6th through 8th grade. The high school currently hosts girls and boys in grades 9-12. Enrollment for 9th grade boys began in the 2009-2010 school year.

History

The school started at Saint Francis Convent in 1924 to train young women to become nurses to work with sufferers of Hansen's disease

Leprosy

Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...

. It was founded in memory of Mother Marianne Cope

Mother Marianne Cope

The Blessed Marianne Cope, O.S.F., christened Maria Anna Barbara Koob , was a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Syracuse, a religious congregation of the Roman Catholic Church...

, who came to Hawai‘i in 1883 with six other Franciscan

Franciscan

Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

 nuns of the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis in answer to the call for aid of victims of this disease by King David Kalākaua

Kalakaua

Kalākaua, born David Laamea Kamanakapuu Mahinulani Nalaiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua and sometimes called The Merrie Monarch , was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii...

.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Aug/07/il/il13afaith.html
In late 2006, they announced that it will be a co-ed school, St Francis School is going to allow 6th grade boys to come and join the girls for the first time.