In 1941, St. Andrew Parish families gathered together their first kindergarten class in the home of three religious sisters, at 119 S. 7th Street, Delavan. They then began the planning and saving to build the school as it exists today. The ground breaking for the building was in 1947 and the building was completed in 1948 with an auditorium added in 1956.

Keeping a private school running for seventy years does not come and go without obstacles and struggles. On January 11, 1944, in "A Report of the Committee on Plans for a Parochial School" by Father McDermott, a complete description and blueprint of the well-thought out school plans were handed to the congregation. Father McDermott writes, "How much will this building cost? That no man knoweth. The Architech's preliminary estimate was $117,000. That is conservative, and it is certain that to build and furnish such a building would cost considerably more than the above estimate. These are not the days for building, and it is more or less a waste of time to guess at building costs when there is no possibility of building. All that is for the future." Yet he closes the report by stating, "It is hoped that the members of the Congregation will give this report careful consideration. What is presented here is of vital importance to the future development of the Congregation, and while at present it remains only a proposed plan for something essential in the life of the Congregation, it is, and it must ever be part of the solemn responsibility and duty of every member of the Congregation to labor incessantly for its eventual realization."

The Congregation responded favorably. More than $131,000 was raised in the next three and a half years to build the school with the ground breaking in 1947 and classes filling the rooms in 1948. The Convent was added in 1950 and the auditorium addition was completed in 1956. By 1965, all debt for the three phases was retired.

However, in 1969 and 1970, the St. Andrew School Board felt compelled to write two Position Papers, possibly because of a struggling economy, or maybe to rejuvenate support for the school in the parish community. The 1969 paper quotes a Greeley Rossi Report, "…Good private religious schools will survive the present crisis and those good schools will become better schools offering excellent quality education." Each paper highlights the offerings of the school: religion, reading, literature, language arts, math, social studies, science, speech, physical education, tutoring, music, art and band. And each revolved around the same theme, summed up by Sister Margaret Dillon, Principal, "This is what we see as our primary purpose, an attitude and christian atmosphere to experience christian values. The "integration" of religion (knowledge, commitment, and practice) into the total school life of the student is what makes Catholic Schools distinctive and vitally important."

It seems that the parish answered the rallying call again. Average enrollment during the 1970's was around 250 children in grades K-8. School principals and teachers gradually went from religious sisters to laymen and women.

Forty years later, faces and names throughout the school have changed, but the commitment of the parents and the parish support has not waivered. Again, the economy is struggling. Yet enrollment is up from last year, a new computer lab has been installed, and a SmartBoard will be installed in November. St. Andrew has had approximately 1300 graduates since its beginnings in 1941.