Is St. Mary's Catholic School an accredited school?
Yes, St. Mary's is accredited by the Texas Catholic Conference Accreditation Commission which is recognized by the Texas Education Agency.
What grades are offered?
St. Mary's School accommodates students 3 years old (Early Childhood) through 8th grade.
Who may attend the school?
In keeping with the universality of Christendom, there will be absolutely no discrimination among applicants on the basis of race, sex, or color.
Do my children have to be Catholic to attend?
No, approximately 15-20 percent of the student body is not Catholic.
Does my non-Catholic child have to attend Religion classes and Mass?
Yes, every student attends Mass once a week and on Holy Days. The children also attend Religion class every day. These classes emphasize Gospel values.
How do I apply to the school?
Complete the registration forms and return with the following:
** copy of birth certificate
** copy of baptismal certificate, if applicable
** copy of social security card
** proof of Texas required immunizations
** transcripts from previous school, if applicable
** tuition contract
** registration fees
How old does my child have to be to attend St. Mary's Catholic School?
Age requirements for classes are set by TCCED and are as follows:
** Early Childhood (EC) - 3 (or 4) years old on or before September 1
** Kindergarten - 5 years old on or before September 1
** 1st grade - 6 years old on or before September 1
Children seeking admission to Early Childhood, Kindergarten, or grade 1 who are under age according to admission requirements, may not be admitted to the respective grade unless:
** the student has moved from a state where the age requirements differs from that listed above
** the student has successfully completed the respective grade in that out-of-state Catholic or accredited school
Is there an entrance exam?
St. Mary's does test incoming students for placement when necessary. All 1st Grade students are tested during early August for learning styles and academic strengths and weaknesses.
Does St. Mary's give Achievement Tests?
Yes, during the school year the ITBS (Iowa Tests of Basic Skills) will be given to all students in grades 1-8.
What time does the school day begin?
The first bell rings at 7:50am for students to begin moving to class and the tardy bell rings at 8:00am.
What time does the school day end?
The half-day EC program ends at noon. All other students are dismissed at 3:30pm.
Do you have before- and after-school care programs?
Yes, we have a before-school program free of charge from 7:15 to 7:50am. We have an after-school program for both EC in the afternoon until 3:30pm and then for all students until 6:00pm. For rates see the Extended Day Program information page.
Do the students wear unforms?
Yes, all students EC-8 grade wear school uniforms. The uniforms are available at any local vendor including Lollipops and Lace located next to Target. Also, grades 3 through 8 need a PE uniform.
Are teachers credentialed?
Yes, St. Mary's teachers are highly qualified, degreed, and/or certified.
Are scholarships, financial assistance, or discounts available?
Yes, applications for evaluation of need are available at the school office. The evaluation is made by a finance committee. Tuition aid funds come from the parish, donors, and other sources.
What is the annual tuition?
See the Tuition and Fees page.
What are the fund-raising requirements for families?
Each family must meet the annual fund-raising obligation of $300 per family. This is generally done through the annual Wunderfall raffle ticket sales.
What is Wunderfall?
Wunderfall is the major annual fund-raising event for St. Mary's School. The event is an evening of food, music and dance, silent auction, and the raffle drawing for a car. Sales of the raffle tickets for the car provide St. Mary's with additional monies that tuition does not cover. Each family is obligated to sell $300 of raffle tickets. However, the more tickets sold the more the children and the school benefit.
Does St. Mary's require adult service hours of each family?
Yes, each family is required to do 20 hours of adult service. There is a $20 cash value for each hour uncompleted which will be applied to the tuition account.
Does St. Mary's offer a hot lunch program?
Yes, St. Mary's offers a hot lunch daily. A monthly calendar informs students and parents of the monthly menu offerings. Prices for lunches are given in the summer newsletter.
Does St. Mary's have a Parent-Teacher organization?
Yes, St. Mary's School has an active Home and School Association made up of parents and teachers. This organization annually contributes $15,000 or more to the school through fund-raising activities.
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