St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School will reinstate the seventh and eighth grades next school year as a result of adequate enrollment in the current sixth grade class.
Last year, St. Thomas leaders made the decision to not offer the middle school grades because there would have only been one student in each grade, explained Principal Michael Gerard.
“There is a strong group of sixth graders interested in coming back,” Gerard said.
Next year, St. Thomas will offer a preschool, kindergarten, first and second grades combined, third and fourth grades combined, fifth and sixth grades combined and seventh and eighth grades combined.
Gerard said the school is holding fairly steady in terms of total enrollments. A strong kindergarten roundup will continue enrollment numbers.
He said the two-grade combined classrooms are beneficial because the “younger students learn from the older students, and the older students mentor the younger students. It’s not all new for everybody.”
Gerard explained that the school will soon be seeking a qualified teacher for the middle school grades. A key trait of the successful candidate, he said, will be strong math skills. Gerard said St. Thomas students on average read two grade levels above their school year, so language skills are already well-built into the curriculum.
The change in grade offerings is not the only change to the school over the past several years — top administration is nearly all different as well. Gerard is currently in his second year as principal of St. Thomas. In addition, pastor Kris McKusky and assistant pastor Joe Sobolik have since joined the St. Thomas Church and head the school as well.
The principal said having this dedicated leadership team will help continue the school’s viability into the future. “It’s really nice to have someone who’s dedicated,” Gerard said. Previously, the school had been under temporary leadership, he noted.
Several community members expressed doubt about the continuation of the school after last year’s drop in classes, but Gerard said they should feel confident in its future. Last year, St. Thomas received reaccreditation for the next seven years.
In addition, last year St. Thomas met its $1 million endowment goal. That money will be used, in part, to provide tuition support to families who need assistance meeting the tuition. For parishioners, the school costs $2,250 per year; non-parishioners pay $3,250 annual tuition.
Financial aid is available, Gerard noted, explaining that $10,000 in assistance was provided last year. Gerard said McKusky has indicated support for increasing the availability of the Catholic-school education to more members of the community for whom the tuition may be a hardship.
In spite of the changes at the school, Gerard said the high level of education at the school has not changed. He credits strong parental support as well as the St. Thomas teachers for the academic successes of the students.
“(The school) has been here for 84 years, and there’s a strong commitment to Catholic education,” Gerard said.
