Reverend M. Lucey, who could be called the "Father of Roman Catholicism in Pine Bluff" was the driving force behind the establishment of St. Peter's School. In 1889, the two-story building was completed and the Colored Industrial Institute began with an enrollment of 140 pupils. St. Peter's was the first school founded for black children in Arkansas and was staffed by the Sisters of Charity from Nazareth, Kentucky who also staffed Annunciation Academy at St. Joseph's Parish. These Sisters withdrew from St. Peter's in 1901.
After 8 years of operation, the Colored Industrial Institute outgrew its small frame building. A three-store, red-brick building was completed for the school year of 1898. This structure was used by the school until it was torn down in 1963.
In 1984, the School Sisters of Notre Dame from Dallas, Texas, responded to the pleas of the pastor, Father Clement Mathis, SVD, to reopen the school. The student body, K-6, maintains an average of 160-170 students. Today, St. Peter's School provides a quality Catholic education program for children in Pine Bluff and the surrounding areas.
In 1988, Sister Mary Gottsponer was chosen as one of the 12 recipients of the Distinguished Principal Award by the Department of Elementary Schools. The elementary school principals were selected from among their peers in 7,700 Catholic elementary schools throughout the United States.
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