History of Mary Immaculate School

Oblate Father Walter Arnold, the first pastor, established Mary Immaculate Parish in the Northwest corner of the Diocese of Dallas on July 2, 1956. The old Dallas Gun Club building became a temporary chapel for the fledgling parish. The first Mass was offered on Sunday, July 29, 1956.

In 1958 under Oblate Father Robert Vreteau, a rectory was purchased. That same year saw the first building, a chapel/cafeteria, dedicated on the current parish property at the corner of Dennis Lane and Valwood Parkway. In 1959 the parish school was started and staffed by four Benedictine sisters from Lisle, Illinois and two lay teachers with an enrollment of 215 students. Sister Mary Regina, O.S.B. was the first principal. On September 13, 1959, Bishop Thomas Gorman dedicated three temporary classroom buildings. These “temporary” buildings would actually remain in use for about twenty years.

As the school grew, multiple buildings were added to accommodate growth. In the 1960s, permanent offices and several classrooms were built.

In 1971, the Benedictine sisters were replaced by the Incarnate Word of the Blessed Sacrament Sisters from Victoria, Texas. Sister Principal Borgia Polak, IWBS, supervised the school. The Incarnate Word sisters remained until 1980.

In the 1980s, the present Parish Hall was built to serve as a gym, cafeteria, and social center.  From 1980 until 2019, the school was entirely staffed by lay employees.

In the 2000s, a new sanctuary and church office building were constructed. Their former location was converted into a gymnasium, art room and school offices at a cost of $650,000. Funding was entirely through the financial and physical efforts of the parish, alumni and school families. The Parish Hall was also renovated. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Education recognized Mary Immaculate School as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, and the school’s priority to provide the best Catholic education possible continues.

In 2011, MIS reached the $1M goal for our first endowment four years earlier than planned. In 2012, MIS invested $250K to renovate the art room into a dual-purpose art/science center without incurring any bank debt. In 2012-13, another $100K was invested on security improvements including a remodeled front entry with a camera security system, visitor management system, magnetic locking door, and new double-keyed doorknobs for every classroom. A $550K renovation of junior high was also completed with the assistance of foundations and community organizations. The school underwent a series of technology improvements including our technology lab, Weatherbug weather station and interactive whiteboards in every classroom. In 2019, the school welcomed the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, affectionately known as the Nashville Dominicans. Just under 450 students were enrolled when we welcomed Sister Mary Anne Zuberbueler as our principal and Sister Sophia Lopez as our 6-8th grade religion teacher.

In early 2020, MIS converted to virtual learning as the world locked down during the Covid pandemic. For the 2020-21 year, MIS offered remote and in-person learning while the pandemic continued. For the 2021-22 year, school resumed with in-person learning only. During the 2021-22 year, we funded our second endowment for tuition assistance, repaved the parking lot, renovated the lobby and installed a ‘poured-in-place’ playground surface thanks to funding from The Catholic Foundation. That same year, our Mustangs earned three Basketball Championships, Sra. Susy Zinser was honored as one of the HALO Teachers of the Year for the Diocese of Dallas, and we held our first inaugural Golf Tournament. We also kicked off our Ambassadors, Grandparents’ Club and Booster club. During the summer of 2022, the kindergarten wing, primary wing, and gym entrance were remodeled and the gym floor was sanded and renovated. Other improvements included the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atrium and Music Room remodel.