ALTON - The Marquette Catholic High School community enjoyed their first day at school for the 2025–2026 school year.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
On Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, teachers and staff members welcomed Marquette students back to school bright and early. Principal Tim Harmon noted that the excitement in the morning “very much carried on through the day,” and he looks forward to another great year.
“It just felt exciting to have the kids back in school. I think that the kids are excited to be back in school as well,” he said. “It’s always exciting seeing different groups of people coming from all over the area, coming together and kind of learning the Marquette way, so to speak.”
Harmon joked that while there was “some groaning here and there” about the end of summer break, the students were generally eager to return and start the day.
He said he is “really enthusiastic” to welcome one of the largest freshmen classes of the last ten years. He looks forward to seeing how these students connect with the current Marquette student body.
Harmon believes the house system, which Marquette implemented in the 2023–2024 school year, has contributed to the “family” feel that many students and teachers enjoy. As the program enters its third year, he hopes to see its continued growth.
Additionally, Marquette will open a new building on campus this year. The Marquette Chapel, located in the former Unitarian church across from Alton City Hall, will hold 200 people. The school will host Mass in the chapel twice a week, and there will also be a few new classrooms and offices housed in the building.
“We’re very much feeling blessed with the opportunity we have to be opening that chapel and the opportunity that it will present for us to continue to develop the faith of our students,” Harmon added. “I’m really excited about that and seeing where that goes with this year and then moving forward as well.”
