Class is in Session: Area's Catholic High Schools Vie for Freshmen

Catholic high school teachers, staff and administrators will roll out their red carpets for parent and student visits in late October and early November. 

Anthony Fior, director of admissions for De Smet Jesuit High School in Creve Coeur, said the open house will be a chance to get an close-up look at the life of the school.

“Students and parents will be able to get a sense of what a normal day at De Smet is like,” Fior said. “They’ll meet a warm, dynamic community of teachers, administrators, students and coaches that make De Smet a great place for a young man to grow and develop.”

Catholic high school enrollment

Robert Oliveri, St. Louis Archdiocese assistant superintendent for school administration, said the open houses help draw between 3,600 and 4,000 freshmen to area Catholic high schools each year. About 14,000 students attend 28 Catholic high schools within the St. Louis Archdiocese. 

• Of those 28 schools, 10 are run by the Archdiocese;
• 16 are private schools run by Catholic orders, such as the Jesuits or Christian Brothers (CBC); 
• and two are parish high schools.

Oliveri said the sagging economy has impacted Catholic schools.

“When the economy is struggling, it makes it difficult to afford school tuition easily, especially families with multiple kids,” he said. “It tends to affect families at all economic levels, not just middle-class families or those who are struggling.”

Still, all 28 Catholic high schools have strong enrollment figures because fundraising and efficient use of resources help keep costs as low as possible, he said.

 “There’s a tremendous amount of tradition in the St. Louis area with families sending their children to (Catholic) schools,” Oliveri said. “We have a great tradition of excellence in academic programs, activities and sports programs and socially.”

Choosing a school

Oliveri said parents from a variety of religious backgrounds send their children to Catholic schools for many reasons.

“There’s the work we do with kids in faith formation, developing spiritually, developing a strong, moral base and developing a sense of service as a lifelong commitment,” he said.

Fior said parents and students consider factors beyond academics.

“At De Smet, we have over 50 clubs and 19 sports,” Fior said. “Every young man can find his place here. We mold classes and activities to the students’ desires, interests and talents.”

The school also is diverse, with students from a wide range of backgrounds and ethnicities.

“After all, that’s what the world looks like. It makes us a richer school,” he said.

Metro St. Louis Catholic high school open houses, Nov. 6

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