Any update on St. Bart's?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the disdain for DeChantal on this board. I have 2 children there. We have found the community to be very supportive and friendly and the teachers to be top notch.

We looked at it. The director was not warm or friendly at all. She got really annoyed when I asked how many non-Christians were there. She kept talking about Catholic vs. Christian but that was not what I was asking. She also insisted I hold my child back a grade due to age even though there were no issues with academics. Kids seemed really unhappy and few were smiling.

So a non-catholic non-Christian wants to be educated in a Christ based school and leads with "let me break your age requirement rule"? And you felt like maybe the director thought you weren't a great fit. Humh? Weird? You're right. Probably, definitely, they have issues. You made perfect choices in your search for a school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at deChantal and HR. It was an education in how incredible St. Bart's really is. Neither offer anything close to the environment, classroom quality, teaching engagement, or facilities at St. Bart's. We'd go Holy Cross if we need to. That's the closest equivalent.

Please tell us more about what is unique about St. Bart's! You've mentioned that it's a welcoming place for students with LD, but what else? What is similar about Holy Cross?

Not PP, but I will give you my perspective, which is hard to do because I do NOT want to put down any other schools. I think that our family wouldn't fit at another school very well. We're liberal (cafeteria) Catholics, really, in our politics and beliefs, and we don't really fit the stereotypical family. We have friends at more traditional parish schools, and they are good schools, but I don't dress like those moms, have a job that isn't like theirs, we don't belong to the same clubs, etc. St. Bart's really is more of a diverse community than the other parish schools I'm familiar with -- racially, economically, and in terms of typical/atypical learners. It isn't just that the school can accommodate LD's / ADHD, but that it's just normal there. There are really all kinds of kids, from the 99th percentiles, to the kids struggling with reading because of dyslexia. Racial diversity FAR exceeding the nearby public schools. And (maybe because it is tiny), the kids don't group up in cliques, and neither do the parents.
I also think that the attitude of the faculty toward students is very much of an accepting and loving attitude. They really do overall try to treat each child as family. Not to say there aren't issues -- of course there are. But it feels like a warm, friendly and open school.

It sounds nice - what do you think is holding the school back in terms of enrollment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This strategic data report from the ADW is eye-opening. I'm happy to see that my kid's parochial school looks like it has a healthy enrollment.

https://adwcatholicschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2018-2019-Strategic-Data-Portfolio-FINAL.pdf

ADW parish elementary schools overall are down 15.8% in enrollment over 10 years. St. Bart's enrollment is down 23.8% in the past 5 years. (Which is a lot at that size ~ 45 kids).

Chantal looks weak as well. Almost 100 kids down.

That's almost 20% in five years, but I suspect that is just a snapshot of a longer term issue. Even the five year data confirms the slide at Dechantal, caused in my view due to very poor leadership and management, an unwillingness to deal with problems and toxic culture, and refusal the keep up with the times. The school is in real trouble but leadership is too stubborn, blind or both to do anything. St. Barts should be a wake up call for Dechantal, but I can't see Dechantal turning itself around with the current administration that is part of the problem. I think the Parish or ADW needs to clean house if the school is to survive.

Maybe the assumption is that St. B kids will head over to Dechantal and solve the problem.

Apparently there's just 8-10 kids in the 7th and 8th grades at St Barts. That'll barely make an impact on the numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the disdain for DeChantal on this board. I have 2 children there. We have found the community to be very supportive and friendly and the teachers to be top notch.

We looked at it. The director was not warm or friendly at all. She got really annoyed when I asked how many non-Christians were there. She kept talking about Catholic vs. Christian but that was not what I was asking. She also insisted I hold my child back a grade due to age even though there were no issues with academics. Kids seemed really unhappy and few were smiling.

So a non-catholic non-Christian wants to be educated in a Christ based school and leads with "let me break your age requirement rule"? And you felt like maybe the director thought you weren't a great fit. Humh? Weird? You're right. Probably, definitely, they have issues. You made perfect choices in your search for a school.

We were not breaking any age rules. The rules are that if a child successfully completes 2nd in MCPS, they can stay in that grade no issue. Child had good grades. Why would you hold a child back who is doing well?

If a school talks about diversity and inclusion, why is it a bad question to know if they are diverse? No other school had an issue discussing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at deChantal and HR. It was an education in how incredible St. Bart's really is. Neither offer anything close to the environment, classroom quality, teaching engagement, or facilities at St. Bart's. We'd go Holy Cross if we need to. That's the closest equivalent.

Please tell us more about what is unique about St. Bart's! You've mentioned that it's a welcoming place for students with LD, but what else? What is similar about Holy Cross?

Not PP, but I will give you my perspective, which is hard to do because I do NOT want to put down any other schools. I think that our family wouldn't fit at another school very well. We're liberal (cafeteria) Catholics, really, in our politics and beliefs, and we don't really fit the stereotypical family. We have friends at more traditional parish schools, and they are good schools, but I don't dress like those moms, have a job that isn't like theirs, we don't belong to the same clubs, etc. St. Bart's really is more of a diverse community than the other parish schools I'm familiar with -- racially, economically, and in terms of typical/atypical learners. It isn't just that the school can accommodate LD's / ADHD, but that it's just normal there. There are really all kinds of kids, from the 99th percentiles, to the kids struggling with reading because of dyslexia. Racial diversity FAR exceeding the nearby public schools. And (maybe because it is tiny), the kids don't group up in cliques, and neither do the parents.
I also think that the attitude of the faculty toward students is very much of an accepting and loving attitude. They really do overall try to treat each child as family. Not to say there aren't issues -- of course there are. But it feels like a warm, friendly and open school.

It sounds nice - what do you think is holding the school back in terms of enrollment?

To be honest, poor administration, which is hard because they’re nice people. But there’s little to no effort by admin. And just that the surrounding area has great public schools. Also, “we’re the liberal catholic school” is kind of risky to say, because you risk irking the ADW and the portion of families who are more conservative (which is also significant — the school really is a mix in that way too).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at deChantal and HR. It was an education in how incredible St. Bart's really is. Neither offer anything close to the environment, classroom quality, teaching engagement, or facilities at St. Bart's. We'd go Holy Cross if we need to. That's the closest equivalent.

Please tell us more about what is unique about St. Bart's! You've mentioned that it's a welcoming place for students with LD, but what else? What is similar about Holy Cross?

Not PP, but I will give you my perspective, which is hard to do because I do NOT want to put down any other schools. I think that our family wouldn't fit at another school very well. We're liberal (cafeteria) Catholics, really, in our politics and beliefs, and we don't really fit the stereotypical family. We have friends at more traditional parish schools, and they are good schools, but I don't dress like those moms, have a job that isn't like theirs, we don't belong to the same clubs, etc. St. Bart's really is more of a diverse community than the other parish schools I'm familiar with -- racially, economically, and in terms of typical/atypical learners. It isn't just that the school can accommodate LD's / ADHD, but that it's just normal there. There are really all kinds of kids, from the 99th percentiles, to the kids struggling with reading because of dyslexia. Racial diversity FAR exceeding the nearby public schools. And (maybe because it is tiny), the kids don't group up in cliques, and neither do the parents.
I also think that the attitude of the faculty toward students is very much of an accepting and loving attitude. They really do overall try to treat each child as family. Not to say there aren't issues -- of course there are. But it feels like a warm, friendly and open school.

It sounds nice - what do you think is holding the school back in terms of enrollment?

To be honest, poor administration, which is hard because they’re nice people. But there’s little to no effort by admin. And just that the surrounding area has great public schools. Also, “we’re the liberal catholic school” is kind of risky to say, because you risk irking the ADW and the portion of families who are more conservative (which is also significant — the school really is a mix in that way too).

Another family, seconding what this poster said. We switched from public, which was a bad fit for our kids, to St. Bart's without looking at other parochial schools. We're not Catholic but have never felt excluded or looked down on. Our kids have thrived in the smaller classes with teachers who do genuinely treat them like family, and who know the class dynamics so deeply. The teachers not only work closely with each child according to where they are, but have rules about inclusivity and make sure no one is left out in class or at recess. I guess one of the things we've learned to appreciate and value the most is that St. Bart's teaches values that many other schools don't. They are genuinely good kids who love and respect each other, their teachers, their school. Our kids don't have LDs, so I can't speak to that, but they've also never commented on or questioned the kids who leave class to see the resource teachers. Like the other poster said, it's just part of how things are at school.

What holds the school back? No one knows about it. The administration is really bad. They make no effort to get the word out, which HAS to be done given the saturation of other good schools in the area. They're nice people but pretty incompetent. It's frustrating because the families get along and we all want the school to succeed, and it doesn't feel like the admin cares. They all got shocked into action in October, but like other posters said it's the families who have put in the leg work to get things back on track.

We've looked at other schools, of course, because we've had to, and it's been eye-opening! We hadn't looked at other parochial schools before switching our kids and so we had no idea how amazing St. Bart's really is. We haven't seen another school that has everything St. Bart's has (loving, engaged teachers; a safe, beautiful campus; two recesses a day; LD resources; the accepting, progressive approach; specials twice a week instead of once), and so it's been extra discouraging to think that this great find may be closed. Everyone knows everyone at St. Bart's and that contributes to the supportive community. The kids have close friends but love meeting new people. The teachers know and love the kids. The curriculum is fantastic. It feels like a little bubble of sanity amid the chaos of school craziness. That may sound rote but it's true. We don't want to leave.

[Anonymous]

Like at every school, many of the parents who complain the most are the least involved. I have been working behind the scenes since we were first made aware of the situation. I will tell you that the current administration has been working tirelessly. The school has raised an incredible amount of money in 12 weeks. The school had a huge admission drain under the previous principal and has slowly but surely been re-building. Many of the parents who spend much time complaining are in for a rude awakening if they are forced to go to another school. The attention our children receive is unlike what I experienced in MCPS and another area parochial school. The staff and several committees have worked so hard since we were made aware of the dire situation and I pray for my kids that the school stays open. IMO it is completely unfair to put the blame on the current principal or pastor. There was one parent in particular who was outraged and threatened to pull her child at the beginning of the year because the class size of 15 was completely unacceptable to her as she was promised small class sizes.. As several others have pointed out on this thread, st. Bart’s has both the competition of many other great public and private schools in the immediate area. Less younger parents are focused on religion and current issues within the Catholic Church also don’t help.

[Anonymous]

As someone who toured the school and was considering it for my kids, I was very impressed. We ultimately decided against it because we couldn't make the commute work. The small classes and facilities are great and I'm surprised more people don't know about it. I would definitely send my kids there if we could make it work! I hope it works out for them - the staff we interacted with were amazing!

[Anonymous]

The commute can be hard for sure. We live in Silver Spring and I drive my kids to and from school every day, so about 2 hours of total car time a day. It's absolutely worth it. I've never considered switching schools to something closer. We are committed to St. Bart's because it is wonderful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like at every school, many of the parents who complain the most are the least involved. I have been working behind the scenes since we were first made aware of the situation. I will tell you that the current administration has been working tirelessly. The school has raised an incredible amount of money in 12 weeks. The school had a huge admission drain under the previous principal and has slowly but surely been re-building. Many of the parents who spend much time complaining are in for a rude awakening if they are forced to go to another school. The attention our children receive is unlike what I experienced in MCPS and another area parochial school. The staff and several committees have worked so hard since we were made aware of the dire situation and I pray for my kids that the school stays open. IMO it is completely unfair to put the blame on the current principal or pastor. There was one parent in particular who was outraged and threatened to pull her child at the beginning of the year because the class size of 15 was completely unacceptable to her as she was promised small class sizes.. As several others have pointed out on this thread, st. Bart’s has both the competition of many other great public and private schools in the immediate area. Less younger parents are focused on religion and current issues within the Catholic Church also don’t help.

As a fellow Catholic, I recognize that St. Bart's seems to have been providing a unique environment. What a blessing! I really don't understand the parent who complained about a class size of 15 being too big. Was she paying $40,000/year? Does she understand budgets? I also find it odd if St. Bart's really offers each special 2x/week. It sounds great, but again, is this financially feasible? If it were, wouldn't every parochial school do this? My guess is that because the school is so small, having specials 2x/week is the only way to keep specials teachers busy full-time.

St. Barts sounds like an incredible place. People keep mentioning that the administration needs to do more outreach. They certainly can, but that's not the historical pattern for parochial schools. Parochial schools have existed to meet the needs of the parish families. It sounds like most of the parish families simply aren't interested. They are paying a lot to live in their houses and like the free public schools, or they can afford to go for the fancier Catholic privates that are close by. Some families can pay for these outright; others have funding through World Bank/IMF. The school CAN do outreach to keep the school open for the few parish families who are there, but this simply isn't the historical model for parochial schools.

I would be curious about the enrollment patterns for other thriving parochial schools. St. Pius in Bowie, the largest parochial school in ADW, benefits from the fact that PG County schools have such a bad reputation. So, there are always non-Catholic neighbors who want a different choice. Also, the school pulls from 4 different active local parishes. This is a sustainable model. The regional nature is not token; pastors from all 4 parishes are actively involved with the school.

I've heard that Holy Cross in Kensington pulls in a lot of commuters. I haven't heard of any specific "outreach," but perhaps the location simply lends itself to this? Can anyone verify?

St. Elizabeth's has long had a strong reputation. Perhaps its location near 270 also attracts commuters?

St. Raphael's has had an amazing start. It has a beloved, innovative principal who built on the reputation of its long-established preschool.

St. Jerome's rebuilt itself with a strong brand. Its classical emphasis and Montessori preschool have attracted dozens of families to move to Hyattsville. The school has a waitlist for many grades.

Holy Redeemer in Kensington has students whose families have attended for generations. Many, many students are walkers from the neighborhood. The preschool has expanded to be the largest in the ADW and is fantastic. I enrolled my DC because of the presence of a PK-3 program and have kept DC in ever since.

Not all parochial schools are going to survive, unfortunately. They don't have the nearly free labor of religious sisters anymore and, as someone mentioned, younger families don't all want to make the financial sacrifice of sending their children to religious schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like at every school, many of the parents who complain the most are the least involved. I have been working behind the scenes since we were first made aware of the situation. I will tell you that the current administration has been working tirelessly. The school has raised an incredible amount of money in 12 weeks. The school had a huge admission drain under the previous principal and has slowly but surely been re-building. Many of the parents who spend much time complaining are in for a rude awakening if they are forced to go to another school. The attention our children receive is unlike what I experienced in MCPS and another area parochial school. The staff and several committees have worked so hard since we were made aware of the dire situation and I pray for my kids that the school stays open. IMO it is completely unfair to put the blame on the current principal or pastor. There was one parent in particular who was outraged and threatened to pull her child at the beginning of the year because the class size of 15 was completely unacceptable to her as she was promised small class sizes.. As several others have pointed out on this thread, st. Bart’s has both the competition of many other great public and private schools in the immediate area. Less younger parents are focused on religion and current issues within the Catholic Church also don’t help.

As a fellow Catholic, I recognize that St. Bart's seems to have been providing a unique environment. What a blessing! I really don't understand the parent who complained about a class size of 15 being too big. Was she paying $40,000/year? Does she understand budgets? I also find it odd if St. Bart's really offers each special 2x/week. It sounds great, but again, is this financially feasible? If it were, wouldn't every parochial school do this? My guess is that because the school is so small, having specials 2x/week is the only way to keep specials teachers busy full-time.

St. Barts sounds like an incredible place. People keep mentioning that the administration needs to do more outreach. They certainly can, but that's not the historical pattern for parochial schools. Parochial schools have existed to meet the needs of the parish families. It sounds like most of the parish families simply aren't interested. They are paying a lot to live in their houses and like the free public schools, or they can afford to go for the fancier Catholic privates that are close by. Some families can pay for these outright; others have funding through World Bank/IMF. The school CAN do outreach to keep the school open for the few parish families who are there, but this simply isn't the historical model for parochial schools.

I would be curious about the enrollment patterns for other thriving parochial schools. St. Pius in Bowie, the largest parochial school in ADW, benefits from the fact that PG County schools have such a bad reputation. So, there are always non-Catholic neighbors who want a different choice. Also, the school pulls from 4 different active local parishes. This is a sustainable model. The regional nature is not token; pastors from all 4 parishes are actively involved with the school.

I've heard that Holy Cross in Kensington pulls in a lot of commuters. I haven't heard of any specific "outreach," but perhaps the location simply lends itself to this? Can anyone verify?

St. Elizabeth's has long had a strong reputation. Perhaps its location near 270 also attracts commuters?

St. Raphael's has had an amazing start. It has a beloved, innovative principal who built on the reputation of its long-established preschool.

St. Jerome's rebuilt itself with a strong brand. Its classical emphasis and Montessori preschool have attracted dozens of families to move to Hyattsville. The school has a waitlist for many grades.

Holy Redeemer in Kensington has students whose families have attended for generations. Many, many students are walkers from the neighborhood. The preschool has expanded to be the largest in the ADW and is fantastic. I enrolled my DC because of the presence of a PK-3 program and have kept DC in ever since.

Not all parochial schools are going to survive, unfortunately. They don't have the nearly free labor of religious sisters anymore and, as someone mentioned, younger families don't all want to make the financial sacrifice of sending their children to religious schools.

I think its true of Holy Cross when we looked. They pull from Walter Reed, NIH and families driving through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at deChantal and HR. It was an education in how incredible St. Bart's really is. Neither offer anything close to the environment, classroom quality, teaching engagement, or facilities at St. Bart's. We'd go Holy Cross if we need to. That's the closest equivalent.

Please tell us more about what is unique about St. Bart's! You've mentioned that it's a welcoming place for students with LD, but what else? What is similar about Holy Cross?

Not PP, but I will give you my perspective, which is hard to do because I do NOT want to put down any other schools. I think that our family wouldn't fit at another school very well. We're liberal (cafeteria) Catholics, really, in our politics and beliefs, and we don't really fit the stereotypical family. We have friends at more traditional parish schools, and they are good schools, but I don't dress like those moms, have a job that isn't like theirs, we don't belong to the same clubs, etc. St. Bart's really is more of a diverse community than the other parish schools I'm familiar with -- racially, economically, and in terms of typical/atypical learners. It isn't just that the school can accommodate LD's / ADHD, but that it's just normal there. There are really all kinds of kids, from the 99th percentiles, to the kids struggling with reading because of dyslexia. Racial diversity FAR exceeding the nearby public schools. And (maybe because it is tiny), the kids don't group up in cliques, and neither do the parents.
I also think that the attitude of the faculty toward students is very much of an accepting and loving attitude. They really do overall try to treat each child as family. Not to say there aren't issues -- of course there are. But it feels like a warm, friendly and open school.

It sounds nice - what do you think is holding the school back in terms of enrollment?

To be honest, poor administration, which is hard because they’re nice people. But there’s little to no effort by admin. And just that the surrounding area has great public schools. Also, “we’re the liberal catholic school” is kind of risky to say, because you risk irking the ADW and the portion of families who are more conservative (which is also significant — the school really is a mix in that way too).

Another family, seconding what this poster said. We switched from public, which was a bad fit for our kids, to St. Bart's without looking at other parochial schools. We're not Catholic but have never felt excluded or looked down on. Our kids have thrived in the smaller classes with teachers who do genuinely treat them like family, and who know the class dynamics so deeply. The teachers not only work closely with each child according to where they are, but have rules about inclusivity and make sure no one is left out in class or at recess. I guess one of the things we've learned to appreciate and value the most is that St. Bart's teaches values that many other schools don't. They are genuinely good kids who love and respect each other, their teachers, their school. Our kids don't have LDs, so I can't speak to that, but they've also never commented on or questioned the kids who leave class to see the resource teachers. Like the other poster said, it's just part of how things are at school.

What holds the school back? No one knows about it. The administration is really bad. They make no effort to get the word out, which HAS to be done given the saturation of other good schools in the area. They're nice people but pretty incompetent. It's frustrating because the families get along and we all want the school to succeed, and it doesn't feel like the admin cares. They all got shocked into action in October, but like other posters said it's the families who have put in the leg work to get things back on track.

We've looked at other schools, of course, because we've had to, and it's been eye-opening! We hadn't looked at other parochial schools before switching our kids and so we had no idea how amazing St. Bart's really is. We haven't seen another school that has everything St. Bart's has (loving, engaged teachers; a safe, beautiful campus; two recesses a day; LD resources; the accepting, progressive approach; specials twice a week instead of once), and so it's been extra discouraging to think that this great find may be closed. Everyone knows everyone at St. Bart's and that contributes to the supportive community. The kids have close friends but love meeting new people. The teachers know and love the kids. The curriculum is fantastic. It feels like a little bubble of sanity amid the chaos of school craziness. That may sound rote but it's true. We don't want to leave.

+1. The only school that would be close to St. Bart’s in terms of size, diversity and inclusion would be Holy Cross. My kids were served well by going to St. Bart’s and I had both a child with LD and one without go there. I wanted a school that would work for both my children. The teachers genuinely cared about my children. My oldest child (high school) echoed a lot of what the pp said, that the school worked closely where the child was and managed to challenge kids wherever they were. My child said you never got the feeling the teachers only cared about a select few students whether it was the really top student or the one that struggled or the ones in between - they worked with all of them and cared about them all. The parents were friendly with each other. The kids in general got along.

Now with the enrollment issue, personally I think it was a combination of having 3 principals in the last 10 years, teacher turnover in key grades, and not being on top of some challenging situation in certain grades. In a small school, any unhappiness about a particular teacher or major social drama has a huge ripple effect as people will pull their child and their siblings and then another family will hear that their child’s best friend is leaving and why and start worrying if they should look elsewhere, then if it is staff related the parents of younger kids get worried etc. Now the next year it’s an uphill battle to not only replace the students lost, but attract new ones and they may be worried the size is too small or the gender ratio is too skewed. I also agree in the past the school didn’t do a great job advertising itself.

I believe if they are able to keep this momentum going they will stay open and they will have more structure around the business type side of things like advertising and making sure they have higher re-enrollment numbers and having the board take on more accountability for those things. I would encourage if anyone is considering St. Bart’s to visit the school and ask questions because there is so much that it does offer. Changing to any school has a certain leap of faith because any school can have the teacher change, the principal change, the queen bee/animal farm type kid start in your kid’s class and change the class dynamic. You have to feel confident that given the information you have at the time, it’s the right decision know and realize you can make a different decision if things change from there and you don’t foresee it improving.

[Anonymous]

Is it true that Woods and the French School have submitted applications to rent the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at deChantal and HR. It was an education in how incredible St. Bart's really is. Neither offer anything close to the environment, classroom quality, teaching engagement, or facilities at St. Bart's. We'd go Holy Cross if we need to. That's the closest equivalent.

Please tell us more about what is unique about St. Bart's! You've mentioned that it's a welcoming place for students with LD, but what else? What is similar about Holy Cross?

Not PP, but I will give you my perspective, which is hard to do because I do NOT want to put down any other schools. I think that our family wouldn't fit at another school very well. We're liberal (cafeteria) Catholics, really, in our politics and beliefs, and we don't really fit the stereotypical family. We have friends at more traditional parish schools, and they are good schools, but I don't dress like those moms, have a job that isn't like theirs, we don't belong to the same clubs, etc. St. Bart's really is more of a diverse community than the other parish schools I'm familiar with -- racially, economically, and in terms of typical/atypical learners. It isn't just that the school can accommodate LD's / ADHD, but that it's just normal there. There are really all kinds of kids, from the 99th percentiles, to the kids struggling with reading because of dyslexia. Racial diversity FAR exceeding the nearby public schools. And (maybe because it is tiny), the kids don't group up in cliques, and neither do the parents.
I also think that the attitude of the faculty toward students is very much of an accepting and loving attitude. They really do overall try to treat each child as family. Not to say there aren't issues -- of course there are. But it feels like a warm, friendly and open school.

It sounds nice - what do you think is holding the school back in terms of enrollment?

To be honest, poor administration, which is hard because they’re nice people. But there’s little to no effort by admin. And just that the surrounding area has great public schools. Also, “we’re the liberal catholic school” is kind of risky to say, because you risk irking the ADW and the portion of families who are more conservative (which is also significant — the school really is a mix in that way too).

Another family, seconding what this poster said. We switched from public, which was a bad fit for our kids, to St. Bart's without looking at other parochial schools. We're not Catholic but have never felt excluded or looked down on. Our kids have thrived in the smaller classes with teachers who do genuinely treat them like family, and who know the class dynamics so deeply. The teachers not only work closely with each child according to where they are, but have rules about inclusivity and make sure no one is left out in class or at recess. I guess one of the things we've learned to appreciate and value the most is that St. Bart's teaches values that many other schools don't. They are genuinely good kids who love and respect each other, their teachers, their school. Our kids don't have LDs, so I can't speak to that, but they've also never commented on or questioned the kids who leave class to see the resource teachers. Like the other poster said, it's just part of how things are at school.

What holds the school back? No one knows about it. The administration is really bad. They make no effort to get the word out, which HAS to be done given the saturation of other good schools in the area. They're nice people but pretty incompetent. It's frustrating because the families get along and we all want the school to succeed, and it doesn't feel like the admin cares. They all got shocked into action in October, but like other posters said it's the families who have put in the leg work to get things back on track.

We've looked at other schools, of course, because we've had to, and it's been eye-opening! We hadn't looked at other parochial schools before switching our kids and so we had no idea how amazing St. Bart's really is. We haven't seen another school that has everything St. Bart's has (loving, engaged teachers; a safe, beautiful campus; two recesses a day; LD resources; the accepting, progressive approach; specials twice a week instead of once), and so it's been extra discouraging to think that this great find may be closed. Everyone knows everyone at St. Bart's and that contributes to the supportive community. The kids have close friends but love meeting new people. The teachers know and love the kids. The curriculum is fantastic. It feels like a little bubble of sanity amid the chaos of school craziness. That may sound rote but it's true. We don't want to leave.

+1. The only school that would be close to St. Bart’s in terms of size, diversity and inclusion would be Holy Cross. My kids were served well by going to St. Bart’s and I had both a child with LD and one without go there. I wanted a school that would work for both my children. The teachers genuinely cared about my children. My oldest child (high school) echoed a lot of what the pp said, that the school worked closely where the child was and managed to challenge kids wherever they were. My child said you never got the feeling the teachers only cared about a select few students whether it was the really top student or the one that struggled or the ones in between - they worked with all of them and cared about them all. The parents were friendly with each other. The kids in general got along.

Now with the enrollment issue, personally I think it was a combination of having 3 principals in the last 10 years, teacher turnover in key grades, and not being on top of some challenging situation in certain grades. In a small school, any unhappiness about a particular teacher or major social drama has a huge ripple effect as people will pull their child and their siblings and then another family will hear that their child’s best friend is leaving and why and start worrying if they should look elsewhere, then if it is staff related the parents of younger kids get worried etc. Now the next year it’s an uphill battle to not only replace the students lost, but attract new ones and they may be worried the size is too small or the gender ratio is too skewed. I also agree in the past the school didn’t do a great job advertising itself.

I believe if they are able to keep this momentum going they will stay open and they will have more structure around the business type side of things like advertising and making sure they have higher re-enrollment numbers and having the board take on more accountability for those things. I would encourage if anyone is considering St. Bart’s to visit the school and ask questions because there is so much that it does offer. Changing to any school has a certain leap of faith because any school can have the teacher change, the principal change, the queen bee/animal farm type kid start in your kid’s class and change the class dynamic. You have to feel confident that given the information you have at the time, it’s the right decision know and realize you can make a different decision if things change from there and you don’t foresee it improving.

Isnt St Barts still holding an Open House and encouraging people to apply? If they are on the verge of closing that creates a lot of uncertainty for applicants. Based on the testimonies from some of the parents I would be interested in applying but I'm not sure if it makes sense if they are facing closure.

[Anonymous]

Well we will know this week.