Archbishop James P. Lyke School is a Catholic elementary school located at two sites in Cleveland, Ohio.  It opened its doors for the first time for the 1993-94 school year, but its legacy and history began many years before.  The following is a brief history of what led to the creation of one school under the direction of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.

It began with two parish schools in the early 1990’s when St. Henry and St. Timothy joined other Catholic schools and parishes of Cleveland who were dedicated to finding new ways to fund their educational programs. A commitment was made to make quality Catholic education available for the residents of the southeast area even though new structures would be needed.

In 1993, St. Timothy and St. Henry Schools proposed a model to meet their needs and the needs of the community they were serving. The two schools would consolidate at the St. Henry site and administrative responsibilities would be shared by the principals from the two schools. The pastors of both parishes shared responsibility for the religious education and liturgical life of the school. This consolidation was to be considered a new creation, and was, therefore, to be renamed.

The new school was dedicated in memory of and named for Archbishop James Patterson Lyke, O.F.M. first African-American Bishop of Cleveland  (1979 to 1990).

By the 1996-97 school year, it was apparent that another reorganization of several Catholic schools on the southeast side was necessary. It was at this time that two additional schools, St. Catherine and Mt. Pleasant Catholic, entered into dialog with Archbishop Lyke School.

As a result, Archbishop Lyke School was expanded to include three buildings, opening its doors in September, 1997 with grades K and one at St. Catherine; grades 2, 3, 4 at St. Henry; and the Middle School of grades 5,6,7,8 at St. Timothy. The school was now a Diocesan school responsible to an appointed ecclesiastical liaison.

The 2004-05 school year saw another change as Archbishop Lyke School was consolidated with grades K to 4 at St. Henry and grades 5 to 8 at St. Timothy.

Then on July 1, 2009, Our Lady of Peace School was welcomed to the Archbishop Lyke School family, and we were once again a 3-campus school.

In the 2011-2012 school year, we again consolidated into 2 buildings with grades K to 4 a the Elemenary Campus (St. Henry) and grades 5 to 8 at the Middle School Campus (St. Timothy).

Although many changes have occurred over the years, the tradition and mission of the former parish schools has remained the same. With the help of parents and community, and in the spirit of Bishop Jim Lyke,

Archbishop Lyke School provides

a God-centered learning environment in the Catholic tradition,

built on respect and peace,

offering the opportunity for academic excellence and daily spiritual growth,

encouraging every child to succeed as a faith-filled disciple now and in the future.