Rice, a coeducational Roman Catholic High School serving the greater Burlington area, was opened February 1, 1959 by Bishop Joyce to replace the aging Cathedral High School. The new school and buildings were named for Bishop Joseph Rice who had established Cathedral High School in 1917.

Born in Leicester, Massachusetts in 1871, Joseph Rice attended Holy Cross College and the grand Seminary in Montreal. Ordained in 1894, he continued his studies at Catholic University in Washington, DC and in Rome. He served as a missionary in Maine, and as a pastor in Northbridge, MA. He also taught at the seminary at Brighton.

When he was chosen to become Vermont's third bishop in 1910, Rice was the youngest bishop in the US.

When the diocese built a new facility to replace the aging Cathedral High School, Bishop Joyce directed that it be named in memory of his predecessor, Bishop Joseph Rice.

The school is accredited by the New England Association of School and Colleges and the Vermont State Department of Education. Rice offers a varied and challenging program, which emphasizes academic excellence, as well as personal, social and spiritual growth. Rice encourages each student to be a motivated and constructive member of society.