St. Francis of Assisi Parish was established in 1927 with Franciscan Friars as leaders. The first school opened in 1930 in a two-room metal building staffed by two Sisters of St. Joseph at Carondelet. In 1941, a new brick building was built to accommodate the growing school. The original building became a convent for the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, who had come to teach in the parish school then. 

As the parish grew, a new church building was dedicated in 1953. Below the new church were four classrooms, lavatories, bus garages, and other rooms to accommodate the growth. Because of continued growth, additions to the school were completed again in 1959, 1962, and 1976. In 1976, the church was also renovated. 1981-82, the current parish center was added, providing a gym/cafeteria, school library, school offices, and more classrooms. The original school building-turned-convent was torn down in the early 1980s to provide additional parking. In the late 1980s, six additional classrooms were added, and the sacristy was expanded, connecting it to the present-day rectory. In 1990, an extensive renovation project expanded the church and updated operating systems. 

The parish boundaries of St. Francis of Assisi have been split twice in its history. In 1962, the parish of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was formed, and in 1972, the Queen of All Saints parish was established. St. Francis of Assisi currently has approximately 1361 active families and 3864 individuals registered.

After 75 years, the Franciscan friars of the Sacred Heart Province no longer had sufficient manpower to meet the needs of this large, active parish. In June of 2002, the friars relinquished staffing to the Archdiocese of St. Louis. An active Secular Franciscan Order is involved in the parish, and the parish and school continue to embrace the Franciscan charism. In 2017-2018, during the first year of leadership under the current principal, Mrs. Beth Bartolotta, and with the approval of then-pastor Fr. Anthony Yates,  the mission, philosophy, and vision of St. Francis of Assisi School were rewritten to reflect the charism of St. Francis. Embedding that charism to ensure that faith is taught and lived has been a goal of both school and parish. 

While the school saw enrollments of around 1,000 students at its peak in the late 1980s, student enrollment at St. Francis of Assisi has declined since then, following the national and local trends in Catholic education and baptized active Catholics. However, the enrollment has stabilized and increased during the past five years. We currently have families living within the boundaries of 12 Missouri and 1 Illinois school districts enrolled at St. Francis. Our non-Catholic population is also rising, and we’ve had many student Baptisms and even family Baptisms after they’ve entered school. 

In 2017-2018, St. Francis embraced being a one-class-per-grade school and used its space and personnel resources differently.   Instructional aides were added to grades K-5; other positions were added to support various student needs, and various programming enhanced the student experience. In the summer of 2021, seven walls were knocked down to create large learning suites. These accommodate new trends in educational practices that allow for higher levels of student engagement and a learning community model where several teachers can work with students simultaneously. A focus on blended, personalized learning during the past two years has allowed for higher degrees of individualization. With these changes, and as we approach our 100th anniversary as a parish,  St. Francis of Assisi School has shown that it is ever-evolving to provide its students with a model for success necessary for 21st-century learning.