The first day of school at St. Jerome Regional School was a time to look back on 100 years of learning, and to look forward.

Elected officials helped school administrators celebrate the first day of the school’s centennial.

“Whenever a school reaches a milestone such as 100 years, it says something about the mark that the school has made on the community and its students,” said Amy Hannis-Miskar, principal of St. Jerome Regional School.

Three years after moving from its longtime home on Broad Street in Tamaqua to Rush Township, the school has lots of space to accommodate its growing enrollment. The school currently has over 300 students enrolled.

In 2018, the school moved to the former Rush Township Elementary. The building has air conditioning, playgrounds, fields, parking, a gymnasium and dedicated classrooms for art, music and STEM.

“We continue to grow as a school, advance in technology and upgrade our curriculum, but it is truly the people here who make the difference,” Hannis-Miskar said.

When it was founded in 1921, the school served just one parish. It now has students from Carbon, Luzerne and Schuylkill counties.

Schuylkill County Commissioner Barron “Boots” Hetherington said the school’s growing enrollment is a testament to its place as a “second home” for its students.

“It speaks well to what they’re doing here to attract new students.”

The centennial brought back memories for Sen. David Argall. His father built the library at the school in the ’80s when it was Rush Township Elementary.

“It’s great to see the building in use for such an important purpose,” Argall said.

State Rep. Jerry Knowles attended St. Jerome’s. He said it’s impressive to see the school updated and full of students.

“I’m a firm believer in competition, and they certainly do a good job and we’re very fortunate to have them,” Knowles said.