The beginning of St. Cecilia School is largely due to the ambition of Father Arthur Drossaerts, pastor of Sacred Heart Church during the turn of the century. The original building was constructed at a cost of $16,000. Under the supervision and direction of the Sisters of Divine Providence, St. Cecilia Convent opened its doors on September 15, 1909, with an enrollment of seventy students.
In 1922, St. Cecilia High School was approved as an elementary and secondary school by the Department of Education.
In 1938, a wooden gymnasium was built to serve as a recreational center for the town of Broussard and a gymnasium for the students of St. Cecilia School.
In 1964, Reverend P.G.J. Kemps, then pastor of Sacred Heart Church, announced that the high school would close by order of the Bishop of Lafayette, in the interest of initiating a movement to consolidate the Catholic high schools in Lafayette Parish.
In 1974, the Sisters of Divine Providence announced that they could no longer serve the school. Since that time, the faculty has consisted of lay teachers.
In 1978, the school's historic building was completely renovated and a cafeteria was built.
In the early hours of October 9, 1981, the wooden gym burned. The following year, a modern, air-conditioned facility, including a gymnasium, six classrooms, dressing rooms, a stage, and a spacious, fully equipped kitchen was built.
The historic building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 14, 1983.
An administrative wing, with an updated library, was completed in 1995 and dedicated to the Sisters of Divine Providence for their 65 years of service to the school.
Friends of St. Cecilia gathered on the morning of December 17, 2000, to bless the present-day science and fifth-grade building, and also to pay honor to Monsignor Michael Herpin of Sacred Heart Church. The ceremony included a blessing by Bishop O’Donnell and the unveiling of a wall plaque that names the facility Monsignor Herpin Hall.
In 2008, school leaders envisioned a permanent space for a Chapel, a larger library, and two new computer labs. The student body participated in blessing the facility in October 2011. Visitors will also find two fourth-grade classrooms, the Religion Department, and two small meeting spaces in this facility.
Today, St. Cecilia School educates approximately 470 students in grades pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade.
