Roseville Community Schools turns 100 years old

ROSEVILLE — Roseville Community Schools is turning 100 years old this year, and educators have a series of events scheduled during the 2024-2025 school year to commemorate the milestone.

“We want to celebrate with our community, staff, alumni, parents and students. We have provided educational opportunities for our community for 100 years, and that’s something to celebrate,” Superintendent Mark Blaszkowski said. “Schools will be doing activities throughout the year, honoring our hundred years. It is going to be an exciting time for our entire school community.”

For starters, the community is invited to the district’s annual Panther Day from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 17 at Roseville High School, 17855 Common Road. The event will include food trucks, performances by the RHS marching band and cheer teams, the annual “Red vs. Black” football game, and bounce houses and games for the kids. Get ready for the punt, pass and kick competition too.

School officials also hope community members will participate in this year’s homecoming festivities Oct. 11. The parade will start at 5 p.m. and be followed by the homecoming game at 7 p.m.

“Homecoming is always the event where we welcome back our alumni, and we would like to see more community members than ever help us celebrate 100 years,” RHS Principal Jason Bettin said in a prepared statement. He added that educators are planning to incorporate the 100-year anniversary into themes for prom and graduation while also acknowledging the 100th class to graduate from RCS in 2025.

“It is important to understand, remember, and honor the past. This school year provides an excellent opportunity for us to do that as a community by celebrating all the accomplishments and alumni of RCS,” he said.

Under the direction of Superintendent A.A. Nevereth at the time, Roseville’s first graduating class in 1925 had nine students who completed their educations. While the district wasn’t always called Roseville Community Schools, Blaszkowski said for 100 years the general area has been educating students.

Throughout the years, as the community has evolved, so did the district. RCS currently serves approximately 4,500 students and has seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.

“RCS has a long, rich history of commitment to educating students in this community, and 100 years is evidence of a dedicated commitment to this community,” Blaszkowski said. “We’ve been able to adapt with all the STEM (curriculum.) We look forward to continuing that commitment for the next hundred years.”

For example, a new drones class will be offered at RHS this year. Another popular class will be a guitar course that educators will implement.

“That got a lot of response from our students,” Blaszkowski said. He also said there seems to be more excitement for the new school year to begin because of the anniversary.

In an RCS press release, Board of Education President Theresa Genest said the district could not have made it this far without community support.

“The successful bonds and millages our community has passed have helped us create great programs and opportunities for our students,” Genest said. “On behalf of myself and the other board of education members, I would like to say how excited we all are to be celebrating our 100th anniversary.”

To honor the centennial, each school will hold different activities throughout the school year. Other opportunities for the community, alumni and former staff members to join in the celebration will be announced at a later date. At the scheduled events, alumni will get the chance to join the district’s “R Club,” which represents Roseville alumni varsity letter winners. School officials also designed a new district logo highlighting the milestone anniversary.

Dave Bommarito plans to participate in some of the upcoming events. The 1971 Roseville High School graduate is a local historian who plans an all-class reunion every year for graduates of Roseville, Brablec, Sacred Heart, Eastland and Burton. Bommarito attended the now-closed Holy Innocents Catholic school and Guest Junior High School in RCS, which “is no longer there.”

He had an after-school job while in high school and didn’t have a lot of time for socializing much, other than cheering on the team at football games. What he really loved about RHS was just being with his friends every day. He also recalled the various styles he went through with his peers.

“We were greasers or rockers that quickly changed to socs, and then hippies. The long hair and the bell bottoms came in,” said Bommarito, whose favorite teachers were Mr. DeStefano, who taught biology, and Mr. Swartout, who taught history and reportedly played minor league baseball.