Marshall School

The building on Fourth Street and Second Avenue West that housed Duluth Cathedral until 1963. The building now houses the Damiano Center.[2]

Founded in 1904 by the Catholic Diocese of Duluth, Duluth Cathedral was originally a high school for boys. In 1910, the diocese added girls, but it wasn't until 1942 that the school was fully coeducational.[3]

In 1963, the school moved to the newly constructed campus on Rice Lake Road, where it remains to this day.

When the Catholic Diocese of Duluth could no longer afford to sustain the Cathedral in 1971, a group of civic and religious leaders who believed that a high-quality, college-preparatory education was essential to the future of northern Minnesota assumed governance of Cathedral Senior High School in 1972. This is considered the founding of Marshall School because of its newly established status as an independent, all-faith school. However, the school remained named Cathedral High School until 1987.

In 1987, the school's name was changed to Marshall School to highlight its independent status and to honor the Albert Morley Marshall family, whose vision and resources over three generations enhanced the quality of education and life in Duluth.

Marshall School officially purchased the 35-acre campus from the Diocese of Duluth in 1995 for $1.1 million.

Over the years, Marshall School has expanded from a high school serving grades 9-12 to a middle school and high school serving grades 4-12. Grades 7 and 8 were added in 1981 and grades 5 and 6 in 1993, when the school reorganized into separate middle schools and high schools. Fourth grade was eventually added in 2011.

Marshall is the only independent school in northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Students from 20 school districts and a wide geographic area attend Marshall. In recent years, an increasing number of out-of-state and international students have attended Marshall and lived with local families. [4]

Applying to Marshall School involves a few simple steps. Each component of the admissions process is designed to assess the fit between school and student. The student essay, academic work, campus visit, and personal interviews as well as the admissions test all provide important information for the family and Marshall School in helping to determine the enrollment decision.

The Admissions office does not select students solely on the basis of academic strength. A willingness to prioritize academics, the desire to be a person of character, and a desire to be a part of the Marshall School community are essential qualities for a positive admission decision.[7]

On average, 40% of students at Marshall receive need-based financial aid, which may cover up to 70% of tuition.

Marshall's upper school emphasizes learning through small classes and a close community, balanced with academic rigor. The average class size is 18.[8] Fine arts opportunities include concert choir, chamber choir, concert band, jazz band, concert orchestra strings ensemble, and drama program.

Marshall offers college counseling beginning in 9th grade. The counselor meets individually and in small groups with students, provides guidance about college visits, application process, scholarships, and need-based financial aid. Students are also assigned faculty advisers for guidance on applications and essay writing.

Nearly 70% of seniors sit for AP exams across 23 subjects, with nearly 75% scoring a 3 or higher.[8] The 2015 ACT average score was 27.[8]

Upon graduation from Marshall, 98% of students attend four-year colleges.[8]

Students in grades nine through twelve are required to complete a minimum of ten hours of community service each year, with a total of forty hours required for graduation.

Marshall's Community Service Learning Program is an integral part of character and leadership development. It begins in the middle school with class projects in the local community and continues in the upper school as students volunteer at local soup kitchens, nursing homes, centers for children in low-income neighborhoods, and citywide clean-up projects. The goal of the Service Learning Program is to instill a sense of social responsibility and to introduce the lifetime rewards of giving back to the community in which Marshall students live.

Marshall's middle school also emphasizes small class sizes and faculty relationships, with classes as small as 12 students. Marshall School's middle school serves students in grades 4 through 8. Core sections are capped at 20 students in 4th grade and capped at 22 students from 5th through 8th grade.[9]

Following an eight period schedule, students in grades 4-6 are able to take a range of diverse classes including music ensembles, daily foreign language courses, and daily physical education. Twice a week, students participate in an integrated music and arts curriculum. Choir starts in 4th grade, orchestra starts in 5th grade, and band starts in 6th grade.[9] Marshall offers three different foreign languages: Spanish, French, and German. Students study Spanish in 4th grade, French in 5th grade, and German in 6th grade. Students then specialize in a foreign language in 7th and 8th grade.[9]

Competitive athletics begin in 7th grade. Middle school students have the option of 16 fall, winter, and spring sports to choose from. Students choose from French, German, or Spanish to begin advanced foreign language study.

Marshall School has a student to faculty ratio of 12:1. Of the 44 faculty members, 19 hold advanced degrees and 4 hold doctorates.

The Boys' hockey team is coached by Brendan Flaherty, who graduated from Duluth Cathedral in 1982. Coach Flaherty is a three-time Section Coach of the Year. He has won four Conference Championships, eight Section Championships, is a three-time State Championship finalist, and has placed second in a State Championship. He has coached nine Division I players and nineteen Division III players, among them Jack Connolly, UMD, Hobey Baker recipient 2012. The Hilltoppers have appeared in seven state tournaments, and most recently finished fifth in the state tournament (2013).[11]

In December 2014, Marshall School announced the team would be moving to Class AA beginning in the 2015-2016 season, the larger of the two classes. [12]

Marshall School's Girls' Hockey team had their inaugural season in 2014-2015, playing with just a junior varsity team.[13] In January 2015, Marshall School announced the team would also have a varsity squad for the following 2015-2016 season. [14]

With six Class A Jazz state championship titles, Marshall School Dance Team is the most winning team since jazz was added to the MSHSL in 1997.[15] The dance team experienced a five-year win streak from 2006-2011 before winning again in 2015.

Recently, the Marshall School baseball team has been experiencing a lot of success. Starting With their best season in school history (10-9) in 2014, capped by a third-place finish in the section finals. Then in 2015 the Hilltoppers topped the previous year's record, posting a 17-9 record, again placing third in the section finals. In 2016, the Hilltoppers matched their own record but couldn't advance past the quarter finals in the section championship. Becoming one of the Marshall School's premier sports teams, the Hilltoppers have high expectations in the 2017 season. In 2017, the Hilltoppers compiled a 20-7 record, their best ever. It was capped off by becoming Section 7AA Champions, leading to a first ever birth in the MSHSL Baseball State Tournament. The Hilltoppers would go on to win their first game in the tournament, in an upset win, against Belle Plaine High School, but would eventually lose to Pierz High School and Maple Lake High School, winning 4th place in the tournament. In 2019, the Hilltoppers won the Minnesota Class AA State Championship.