In 1849 the first Catholic mass took place in the home of Walter McIndoe. The first established church in Wausau, St. Mary Parish began in 1861 and in 1883, St. Mary Parochial school was built at a cost of $6,000. November of 1883 saw five Notre Dame Sisters from Milwaukee take over the teaching duties in the two story - four classroom structure.

In 1975, to upgrade the quality of education, unification of our schools began. St. Mary and St. James parishes of Wausau merged their schools and formed St. Frances Cabrini Middle School. Less than ten years following this two-parish school consolidation, a feasibility study toward merging all six Wausau parish elementary schools, one in Rothschild, one in Schofield, and Newman High School of Wausau, was undertaken. By July, 1987, the consolidation, known as Wausau Area Catholic Schools (WACS) was fully realized and ready to open for the 1987-1988 school term operating as a PK-12 school system with an enrollment of 1,359. It is located within and is under the direction of the Diocese of La Crosse.

In July 2004, Wausau Area Catholic Schools was renamed Newman Catholic Schools as a recommitment to Catholic Education in the community. Today, as Newman Catholic Schools we are committed to our mission of providing excellence in education in a Catholic environment and offering this opportunity to the Wausau Community. Newman Catholic Schools continues to operate as a PK-12 school system with an enrollment of over 1100 students, 800 families, 190 teachers/staff and 10 supporting Catholic parishes.

Newman Catholic Schools: Where Faith and Education meet