Admission Information Nondiscriminatory Policy St. Mary’s School admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, or athletic and other school-administered programs.

Title IX St. Mary’s School adheres to the tenets of Title IX: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

ADMISSIONS & CLASS SIZE POLICY

Revised May 2015

Administration Policy The Admissions Policy will be used in a class when the maximum enrollment has been reached for that class. If the maximum enrollment has not been reached for a class, the Principal retains the right to waive the admissions policy criteria and admit a student after review of all academic records and a meeting with the applicant's family. When applicable, placement testing may be utilized. Admissions Priorities When the number of applicants for any class exceeds the space available under the circumstances described in this policy, the priority for admissions shall be determined as follows: 1. General Rules of Priority In the event that there are more applicants than space available for any seat (except kindergarten, as described below), priority shall be determined on the following criteria, in descending order:       

Students enrolled in grades prekindergarten, through eighth grade during the prior school year “Sibling of Student in Saint Mary School” Child of “Parishioner of Saint Mary Church” Transfer from another Catholic School Child of Alumnus Catholic Non-Catholic

In determining, the following definitions shall apply:  “Sibling of Student in Saint Mary School” shall mean the brother or sister of a student in Saint Mary School, in prekindergarten through eighth grade that has attended Saint Mary School during the previous school year

 “Parishioner of Saint Mary Church” means a person who is a registered member of St. Mary's Parish and participates in the religious life of St. Mary's Church. (Families that relocate to the area are granted Parishioner status for tuition billing purposes upon completion of Parish registration.) An applicant from a category will be admitted before an applicant from a lower-ranked category is admitted. Priority within each category is based on date of first application. For example: if a sibling of a current student in Saint Mary School, a parishioner and a transfer from another Catholic school are applying for limited spaces, the sibling who made application to the school would get first priority, then the other sibling, then the parishioner, then the transfer. 2. Kindergarten It is the intention of the school to maintain the prekindergarten as an initial stage in the educational progression. However, it is recognized that some families cannot, for various reasons, participate in the prekindergarten program. Consequently, in determining admissions to the kindergarten class, the priorities are as follows:  Sibling of student in Saint Mary School, which includes prekindergarten,  Students enrolled in Saint Mary School prekindergarten who are children of Saint Mary Church parishioners.  Students enrolled in Saint Mary School prekindergarten who are affiliated with other parishes or are unaffiliated or non-Catholic.  Child of Parishioner of Saint Mary Church  Child of Alumnus  Catholic  Non-Catholic transfer from another Catholic school  Non-Catholic These priorities for admissions are guidelines and exceptions may occur at the discretion of the Principal. An applicant from a category will be admitted before an applicant from a lower- ranked category is admitted, and priority within each category is based on date of first application to the School. Procedures 1. General rules for applications Applications for the enrollment in September of any year will be accepted throughout the year for prekindergarten through 8th grade. All new applications, including those for students previously enrolled at Saint Mary School and seeking re-admission, shall be accompanied by an application fee of $50.00. 2. Applications for Kindergarten classes New applications for kindergarten, not including preschool or siblings not currently enrolled, will be accepted beginning in September of each school year for the coming year. 3. Applications for grades 1-8 By the first week in April, parents shall indicate in writing whether each current student is expected to return to St. Mary's School in September. Applications from new students will be accepted on an on-going basis for the new school year beginning in September. Acceptance of new students will be determined by seat availability and academic records, and is at the discretion of the Principal.

4. Waiting lists The Principal shall maintain waiting lists for each class in which the number of applicants exceeds the space available. The waiting list shall be arranged in accordance with the priorities determined by the criteria described above. When a place in a class becomes available, it will be offered to the applicant on the top of the list. If this applicant declines, his or her name goes to the bottom of the list and the place is offered to the next applicant on the list, and so on until the place is filled. The waiting list will be reviewed each year. Each applicant on the list from the prior year may indicate that he or she wishes to continue on the waiting list. No new application fee is required. However, the priorities are re-determined each year, without regard to the position of the applicant in the prior year, except to the extent that the date of first application gives priority within each category. Relative positions on the list may be revealed to those on the list. 5. Publication of policy This policy shall be distributed to each family with students currently enrolled in the school and each family who apply to the school. This policy shall also be included in the Parent/Student Handbook and on the Saint Mary School website. Class Size In order to provide Catholic education to the maximum number of students while ensuring that each student receives an excellent education, the Saint Mary School Board affirms the following limits on class size:  For the prekindergarten class, 18 students in each class.  For the Kindergarten class, 28 students in each class.  For the first through eighth grades, 30 students in each class. Applications received once these class sizes have been reached will be retained on the respective waiting lists. Applicants will be contacted when/if a seat becomes available. Each class size limit may be increased by one or two students at the discretion of the Pastor and Principal. The Principal, in cooperation with the teachers of each class, shall provide an appropriate number of teacher's aides, taking into consideration the size of the classes and the age of the children. Effective Date The revisions to this policy shall take effect in May 20, 2015

5.405 TRANSFER STUDENTS POLICY Approved: September 1, 2009 There is no right to transfer into another Catholic school in the Archdiocese, and each potential transfer student shall be subject to the same standards and qualifications as would any child seeking admission to a Catholic school. PROCEDURE Approved: September 1, 2009 Ordinarily, a child shall not be accepted from another Catholic school unless financial responsibilities in the previous school/parish have been satisfied, or the parents have signed an agreement to meet these responsibilities. In difficult cases, the Pastor of a school or the Chief Administrator is asked to dialogue, with special care taken for the general good and spiritual welfare of both the student and the family. The decision of the Pastor/Chief Administrator shall be final. If a student transfers to another school, the officials of the receiving school have a “legitimate educational interest,” and the student's records shall be transferred upon request of the receiving school. Upon the written request of a receiving school, the student records shall be transferred to the receiving school with or without parental consent. If no consent is provided, the school shall notify the parents/guardians that the records are being sent. When a student transfers to another school, the official Archdiocesan transfer form, a duplicate of the student’s cumulative record card, and the original health card shall be sent to the proper official of the receiving school. The transfer of a student from one Catholic school to another within the Archdiocese can occur only after consultation between the Principals of the two schools involved. The Principal of the sending school cannot discuss the student without an authorization signed by the parents/guardians. The Principal of the potential receiving school should obtain written authorization from the parents/guardians to speak to the sending school Principal as a pre-condition to consideration for admission. Placement of students transferring from non-accredited schools, home schooling, public, or other state-approved, non-public schools is the decision of the Principal, based on testing, observation, and other assessments. This decision is made if it is deemed in the best interest of the student and the placement is acceptable both to parents/guardians and the Principal.

Financial Obligations 2.403 TUITION RATES POLICY Approved: September 1, 2009 The tuition rates will be established by the Pastor after consultation with the Principal and school board. Annual tuition rates shall be determined by February 15 as part of the budget process. PROCEDURE Approved: September 1, 2009 Tuition rates shall be set in conjunction with the annual budget development process. It is the responsibility of the Principal to recommend tuition rates to the Pastor and the school board for approval. In setting tuition rates, consideration shall be given to families with more than one child in the school through the use of a sliding scale. Tuition rates for Catholic non-parishioners shall be the same as those for parishioners. If they are not registered parishioners in another parish, they may be charged higher tuition. Schools shall set tuition and fee rates equal or comparable to other parish schools in their town/city. Schools shall explore the implementation of a formal tuition payment plan, which offers various payment options. The finance chair of the school board, in collaboration with the Pastor, Principal and the full board, shall hold an annual meeting with parents to inform them of the tuition and fee rates. Parents shall be provided the actual cost of educating a child in the school. Tuition contracts shall be executed by parents/guardians of students and will include the stated tuition rate, documentation of any financial assistance provided or discounts given (i.e. student of a teacher, etc.) and payment terms. These agreements will be signed and dated by the parent/guardian of the student. Within these tuition contracts there will be NO discounts in the form of labor or other means of bartering in lieu of financial payment.

The rates of tuition for the upcoming school year will be published each April. Families will be aware of the new tuition rates prior to the deadline for confirming family enrollment for the coming year.

2016-2017 Tuition Schedule A non-refundable Family Enrollment Fee of $250.00 is due and payable upon admission or re-enrollment. This fee is in addition to the tuition amount. This fee is per family and payable directly to St. Mary’s School. The Family Enrollment Fee may not be added to a family’s SMART account.

Tuition Category

Tuition Amount 2016-2017*

Prekindergarten 5 days for older 4’s & young 5’s

$4,500

–

$500 credited back to those who remain enrolled at St. Mary’s throughout the following year.

Daily afternoon Enrichment for Prekindergarten is $25 per day K- 8 Catholic Affiliated 1 child K- 8 Catholic Affiliated 2 children K- 8 Catholic Affiliated 3 children K- 8 Catholic Affiliated 4 children

$4,740 $8,952 $12,732 $14,820

K-8 Non-Catholic/Unaffiliated 1 child K-8 Non-Catholic/Unaffiliated 2 children K-8 Non-Catholic/Unaffiliated 3 children K-8 Non-Catholic/Unaffiliated 4 children

$6,336 $12,144 $18,408 $24,288

* SmartTuition will add $50 to the tuition due for each family participating in their program. 2016-2017 CHOICE Participation Schedule** **

Families with 1 child in grades K-8 Families with 2 children in grades K-8 Families with 3 or more children in grades K-8

$325 $360 $400

Participation in the CHOICE Program is mandatory to the extent that each family must earn the amount designated by the number of students attending St. Mary's School in grades Kindergarten through 8. This amount must be earned between May 1, 2016 and April 30, 2017 through the purchase of CHOICE gift cards. A family may 'opt out' of this program by writing a check in the designated amount payable to SMS CHOICE. Families with students enrolled ONLY in Prekindergarten are welcome to participate in CHOICE but participation is not mandatory unless students are enrolled in grades K-8.

St. Mary’s School Tuition and CHOICE Payment Policy Timely payment of tuition along with each family’s CHOICE obligation is an important part of maintaining the financial integrity of the School. Tuition and CHOICE account for approximately 70% of School revenues. Recognizing that the payment of school tuition and CHOICE is an obligation of each family and the need to maintain a consistent cash flow is essential to a well-managed school, St. Mary’s School follows the following policy regarding tuition and CHOICE payments: Tuition Payments 1) Families thirty (30) days in arrears will be sent a letter notifying them of the past due amount. 2) The Principal will notify families sixty (60) days in arrears in writing. The Principal will request the party in arrears to schedule a meeting to discuss payment options. 3) Families who are ninety (90) days in arrears will be asked to meet with the Pastor to discuss their individual circumstances and how they can schedule some form of payment to address tuition in arrears. Any family that does not make an effort to address delinquent amounts during the school year may be asked to find other accommodations for their child(ren). CHOICE Obligation 1) Full payment of a family’s CHOICE obligation is expected no later than May 1st of each year. 2) The Principal will contact families not meeting their CHOICE obligation by May 10th. 3) If by June 1st a family’s CHOICE obligation is not paid in full the Principal will schedule a meeting to discuss payment options.

Tuition Payment Options:

SMART® Tuition Management Service Overview     

See brochure and enrollment form. There is an annual non-refundable $50 administrative fee for enrollment in the SMART® program per family. This fee will be added to your tuition collected by SMART® – please do not make this payment to the school. Pay tuition over 12 months via personal check, money order, or automatic deduction. Your enrollment form to SMART® must be returned with your registration. All families not selecting the SMART® tuition plan in their registration packet will be expected to make direct payment to St. Mary’s School no later than June 1 of the current school year.

Withdrawal Policy       

Families must notify the school in writing if a student is withdrawn from the school. If a student leaves before school begins - $250.00 Family Enrollment Fee is non-refundable. Any tuition paid to date will be refunded. If student leaves during the first two weeks of school – 10% of tuition is due If student leaves during the first marking period – 25% of tuition is due If student leaves during the second marking period – 50% of tuition is due If student leaves during the third marking period – 75% of tuition is due If student leaves after the third marking period – full tuition is due – no refund

Tuition Categories Tuition for Saint Mary’s School is divided into two categories: A. Affiliated Catholics – These are Catholics who are registered, participating and financially supporting members of an area Parish. Their annual offering to the church meets the criteria established by the Parish's Pastor. This contribution must be made by December 31 of the current school year. These families pay the established affiliated Catholic tuition rate. If Parish contributions do not meet the established criteria by this date or if the Pastor denies a family's affiliation with his parish, the tuition will be reassessed at the Unaffiliated or Non-Catholic tuition rate. B. Unaffiliated Catholics & Non-Catholics - Families pay full tuition as established. ANY FEES INCURRED BY THE SCHOOL DUE TO TUITION PAYMENTS DENIED FOR INSUFFICIENT FUNDS OR OTHER REASONS WILL BE BILLED TO THE FAMILY. Delinquent Tuition Families with unpaid tuition obligations at the end of the school year may be denied reenrollment to St. Mary’s School. In the event that a family is experiencing financial hardship, we encourage the family to contact the school, in person, as soon as possible, so that acceptable payment or other arrangements can be made.