Sartell-St. Stephen Independent School District 748 was established by the communities of Sartell and St. Stephen. While each community had an elementary school for local students, neither had middle or high schools, so local students went to Sauk Rapids High School or St. Cloud Tech High School for their secondary educations.

Recognizing the importance of providing quality education for local students, Sartell and St. Stephen worked to establish an independent school district to ensure there were schools for all of the K-12 students in their communities. 

We are proud of our traditions of community involvement and cooperation. Please enjoy the overview of our tradition to better acquaint yourself with our growing District. 

1966  School Board votes to become a district; 850 K-12 students

1967  January 6 – District residents vote and pass a bond to build a high school (despite 12 inches of snow that fell, a special election was held with more than 94 percent participation of registered voters. The bond passed with 66 percent approval)

The school board asks voters to support a bond referendum for a high school located in Sartell. According to History of Sartell, MN: Lumber, Paper Valves and Progress, the four reasons to vote in the referendum were:

1. to keep control of schools and taxes
2. the need for additional elementary classrooms
3. children could attend high school in the city and
4. a high school would allow for more extracurricular activity with local transportation

1969  Junior/High School (the north portion of the current Riverview Intermediate School) opens for Grades 7-12 to accommodate 675 students (see photo on this page)

1970  First graduating class has 18 students (see photo on this page)

1985  Addition (South Wing) built on to Sartell High School to create Sartell Intermediate/Sartell Junior High (enrollment approximately 1450)

1993  Sartell High School opens (748 Seventh Street North)

1999  Pine Meadow Elementary opens

2004  Oak Ridge Elementary opens

2017  Graduating class has 292 students

2018  7th grade class (graduation year 2024) has 365 students

2019  New Sartell High School opens (3101 Pinecone Road)

2020  Buildings reconfigured:

• PreK-K: Oak Ridge Early Learning Center 
• Grades 1-2: Pine Meadow Primary School 
• Grades 3-5: Riverview Intermediate School (original 1969 high school, recently middle school)
• Grades 6-8: Sartell Middle School (1993 high school)
• Grades 9-12: Sartell High School (2019 high school)