Previously, the Vermilion County Catholic grade schools included: Holy Family, St. Mary’s, and St. Paul’s.

The school was established in 1945 and named after Archbishop Joseph Schlarman, bishop of the Diocese of Peoria at that time.

[3] Schlarman's mascot is The Hilltopper, because the secondary school campus sits on top of a hill close to Lake Vermilion.

It is a relatively small school in terms of enrollment, but the north campus is quite expansive and has a large gymnasium.

[3] Schlarman competes in the IESA and IHSA, and is part of the Vermilion Valley Conference in sports such as baseball, basketball, football, softball and volleyball.