SPRINGDALE — A private school education might seem like a tough sell in today’s economy, but enrollment at St. Raphael Catholic School continues to increase every year.
“We have 116 children in preschool through the fifth grade,” Principal Karen LaMendola said. “We have 50 in the preschool, 66 in the elementary.”
Sixty students are Caucasian, 31 are Hispanic and 12 are Asian, according to figures provided by LaMendola. Also, 104 of the 116 students are Catholic.
“It has low-income (students), high-income and all in-between,” parishioner Steve Vera said.
Enrollment in the elementary grades has more than doubled since the school opened. There were 27 students in grades kindergarten through third for the inaugural 2007-08 school year.
This year, the school added a mascot — St. Raphael Archangels.
“We’re very happy with the progress, especially in these tough economic times,” LaMendola said.
Nearly all of the students who start at the school enroll again for the following school year, LaMendola said. The ones who don’t come back have moved out of the area, she said.
Vera believes the school will continue to grow. St. Raphael is the largest parish in the state with 18,500 members.
The school should be able to surpass enrollments at St. Vincent de Paul in Rogers and St. Joseph of Fayetteville in future years, he said.
LaMendola estimated they can expand to house one full classroom for each of grades kindergarten through seventh without building more facilities. At that point, they would probably have 200 students in elementary and 50 in the preschool program.
Gary Reed, who sends two children to the school, said he appreciates the community atmosphere, the faith-based nature of the program and the small classes. He also likes the school’s demographics.
“All walks of life are represented,” he said.
Reed’s family was the third to register before the school opened. He wondered if the school would get enough students to make it that first year, but sending the children to school there turned out to be a great move, he said.
Some parishioners sponsor low-income students so they can attend the school.
LaMendola declined to say how many children receive financial help with tuition, saying the parish doesn’t give out that information, but she described it as a large group of students.
Registration for the upcoming school year starts in February. The school will let low-income parents know if they can receive assistance in May, LaMendola said.
Richard Finn said he is glad the parish operates a school, adding that he attended the now-closed Tontitown School years ago.
That school was maintained by the Springdale School District, but nuns were employed to teach the classes, said Vernell Bowen, director of Catholic schools for the Little Rock Diocese.
“We had two or three schools in Arkansas that were public schools, but the (districts) asked the sisters to operate them,” she said.
The growth at St. Raphael’s goes against the overall trend of enrollment for Arkansas Catholic schools.
“The enrollment is down 4 percent diocese-wide,” Bowen said.
The school probably won’t add eighth grade until a Catholic high school opens for Northwest Arkansas, LaMendola said.
Seventh grade serves as a good cutoff point because in the Springdale School District, eighth grade is the first year of junior high, she said.
The diocese owns land for a Catholic high school in Lowell, but no date has been set for building or opening one.
Bowen said there have been some recent changes in pastors for the Northwest Arkansas parishes — St. Raphael’s John Connell started this fall — and she plans to discuss the idea with them this spring.
“We hope and pray every night that there’s going to be a Catholic high school coming,” Reed said.
Infobox
AT A GLANCE
Parish Members
Three parishes in Northwest Arkansas are in the top five largest in Arkansas.
St. Raphael of Springdale — 18,500
St. Vincent de Paul of Rogers — 10,114
Immaculate Conception in Fort Smith — 5,889, 333 K-6
Christ the King of Little Rock — 5,679, 734 pre-K through 8th
St. Joseph of Fayetteville — 5,089
Source: Little Rock Diocese Chancery Office
Infobox
AT A GLANCE
Enrollment
St. Raphael’s elementary school has grown since it opened.
Year Students
2007 27
2008 46
2009 66
Source: St. Raphael Catholic School