Cotter High School (Winona, Minnesota)

Cotter Schools
Address
1115 West Broadway Street Winona , (Winona County) , Minnesota 55987 United States
Coordinates	44°3′11″N 91°39′59″W
Information
Type	Private, Coeducational
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
Established	1911
Founder	Bishop Patrick Heffron
President	Mary Eileen Fitch
Principal	Dave Forney
Teaching staff	32
Grades	Preschool–12
Enrollment	414 (2023)
• Grade 7	60
• Grade 8	80
• Grade 9	75
• Grade 10	67
• Grade 11	57
• Grade 12	75
Student to teacher ratio	13:1
Color(s)	Royal Blue and White
Slogan	"Veritatem Vereantur" (Let Them Respect the Truth)
Fight song	Illinois Loyalty
Athletics conference	Three Rivers Conference
Mascot	Rowdy
Team name	Ramblers
Rival	Rochester Lourdes High School, Caledonia High School
Accreditation	North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Website	http://www.cotterschools.org/

Cotter Schools is located in Winona, Minnesota, and is the sole Roman Catholic school in the city. Educational opportunities begin in preschool for children 16 months or older and continue through Grade 12. Boarding is available for students in grades 7–12. The school opened its doors on September 5, 1911, as the "Cotter School for Boys" with 11 students. Cotter, named for the diocese’s first bishop, Bishop Joseph Bernard Cotter, was a boys school directed by the Christian Brothers of Saint John Baptist de La Salle. In 1952, the Brothers turned the operation of the school over to the diocese and Cotter became co-educational with the combining of the Cathedral Girls High School. In 1953 a new Cotter building was erected and in 1962 an addition was added. In 1992, with help from an endowment from the Hiawatha Education Foundation, the school moved to its current location on the campus of the former College of Saint Teresa, allowing it to add a boarding school component.

Cotter High School in Winona

Cotter Family

The term "Cotter Family" refers to all the students, teachers, parents, administrators, alumni, volunteers and church members affiliated with the school. Many of these members are in several groups. Roughly 50% of the faculty are alumni. Roughly 25-50%, depending on the year, of the student body are children of alumni, some third and fourth generations. In 1993, local businessmen, headed by Bob Kierlin of Fastenal, started an endowment fund of several million dollars granting the school a technological make-over and allowing it to move to the Saint Teresa campus.

2021 Expansion

On July 1, 2021, Cotter Schools began offering educational opportunities for students from ages 16 months through 12th grade. In 2023 Cotter relocated the elementary school from St. Stans to the brand new St Lukes Elementary serving grades K-6 on the St Teresa Campus , putting grades K-12 on one campus.

Campuses include:

• Main Square Campus: Montessori 16 months – 6 years
• St. Mary’s Campus: 6 months – Kindergarten
• St. Teresa's Campus K-12 Includes the following Buildings
• St. Lukes Elementary: Grades K-6
• St. Teresa’s Hall : Grades 7-8
• St. Joseph Hall : Grades 9-12

Notable alumni

• Mike Leaf (class of 1979) – College basketball coach at Winona State University.
• Grace Ping (class of 2020) – Runner at Oklahoma State University.

External links

• Cotter High School