Just to answer your question about St. Joseph High School and to correct your assessment of how Aquinas was created. St. Joseph High School of Shawnee was definitely a high school. It started around 1930 and a new building was dedicated on 1/29/1952. It has been around a long time and definitely has a rich sports history before it was renamed to Aquinas High School in 1980. The school was relocated to the current Aquinas building in 1988. So you can see the addition of Aquinas had nothing to do with Miege reaching capacity. I am not positive which high school was established first Miege or Aquinas. Miege evolved from the old St. Agnes High School but I am not sure if St. Agnes High School was started before 1930. Here is a history of St. Joseph/St. Thomas Aquinas High School that I found on an internet search:


History of St. Joseph Catholic Schools
Shawnee, Kansas
St. Joseph School has played an important part in the history of Shawnee. Many
Belgian immigrants settled in Shawnee in the late 1800s, and great great grandchildren of
many of those immigrants are in our school today. In 1873 the first parish school, a small
two-story red brick building, was constructed behind the church that had been built in
1868. Unable to find a teacher, the pastor of St. Joseph Church, Father John Pichler,
assumed the teaching duties himself until 1876. Lay teachers soon became available and
Benedictine Sisters from Atchison came to assist in 1906. Because of a teacher shortage
to accommodate the rising enrollment, the grade school was closed from September 1912
until September 1915.
In 1921, a larger two-story native stone school was built. High school courses were
added to the curriculum in 1930, with classes being held on the top floor of the grade
school building. As enrollment grew in both the grade school and high school, a
separate high school was built one block west of the grade school. St. Joseph High
School was dedicated on January 29, 1952.
Between 1952 and 1958 the number of children in both schools nearly doubled. Every
available corner was used for classrooms, with the basement of the grade school being
put into classroom use, and the Knights of Columbus Hall providing space for students.
Grade school enrollment increased so much that some classes were held in the high
school, forcing high school classes into the cafeteria and the gym-auditorium.
In the summer of 1955 eight Brunswick bowling alleys were installed in St. Joseph
High School at a cost of $51,000. They provided many hours of entertainment for
members of the parish and the community. Increased space demands in 1968 saw them
removed and the area converted to additional educational use.
In 1958 a modern red brick grade school was built at 59th and Flint, with dedication
ceremonies November 23, 1958. About 850 students occupied the new building; with 11
Benedictine sisters and 5 lay teachers. The old stone grade school was used from 1958
until 1968 for supplemental classrooms. It was razed in 1968 to make room for the new
church.
St. Joseph High School was serving several nearby parishes, and was renamed
Aquinas High School in 1980 to reflect a change to operation by the archdiocese.
Although most of the students still came from St. Joseph Parish, many were from
surrounding parishes.
In the fall of 1988, the Aquinas football field was named Mirocke Field in honor of
Gennaro Mirocke, better known as “Rocky” or “Coach”. Coach Mirocke had taught and
coached sports at St. Joseph/Aquinas High School for 41 years when he retired from
coaching in 1992. He continued to teach for three more years at the new St. Thomas
Aquinas High School in Overland Park. When he retired from coaching he was one of
the winningest coaches in Kansas, being one of only three coaches to win over 250 games
in the state. He passed away in 1995.
When St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park opened in 1988 the Aquinas
High School in Shawnee was officially closed. That same year, the old high school
building was converted into the St. Joseph Early Education Center (EEC) for preschool,
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kindergarten and day care. A new gymnasium was added to the building in 1994.
Another addition to the building was made in 1995 to accommodate infant care.
St. Joseph Grade School celebrated its 125th anniversary during the 1998-99 school
year. The students and staff observed the anniversary in several special ways throughout
the year, including: historical notes in the school bulletin recalling facts or events from
the parish’s and school’s past, special displays developed by parents, students and staff, a
banner placed on the east side of the school calling attention to the event, and a
photograph of the entire student body and school staff in a “125” formation on the school
grounds. Archbishop James Keleher concelebrated a 125th anniversary Mass on Friday,
January 29, 1999 with several school alumni involved in the service.
Construction on a new state-of-the art grade school building began in 2002.
Archbishop James P. Keleher dedicated the St. Joseph Education Center September 21,
2003. Capable of accommodating 720 students, the building consolidated grades
kindergarten through 8 and religious education classes which had been spread out among
three buildings on the parish campus. The facility includes 36 classrooms, including
music, art and computer rooms, a large cafeteria/commons/auditorium area, and full
wheelchair accessibility. The faculty includes 37 certified teachers and support staff.
More than 600 students were enrolled for the 2005-2006 school year.
Classrooms on the top floor of the old grade school were remodeled in 2003 to provide
space for the Padre Pio Academy, a private, independent Catholic school. The Academy
is an alternative between home schooling and the traditional Catholic school system,
providing education for students in grades kindergarten through eight.
The old grade school building became the Parish Service Center in 2004. The main
floor classrooms in the old grade school building were renovated to accommodate the
Christian Formation Office staff, the Grade School Development and Accounting office,
and the parish copy shop. Adult and youth ministries occupy the lower floor.
(Note: Included in this history are excerpts from “History of St. Joseph Church: 1868-
1968,” compiled by Mrs. Henry J. LeCluyse.)