So...where did YOU go to high school? (St. Louis, Parkway: middle-class, homes)

[WestCoDude]

Originally Posted by Ftball_Mom

Are public schools in the St. Louis area primarily for non-Catholic kids, while all the Catholic kids go to Catholic schools? And what schools are considred the "top schools"?

Sorry, i'm still trying to understand the whole thing about schools in the St. Louis area. We're moving there, we're Catholic, and we have kids. I'm not sure if we're gonna send them to Catholic schools or public schools. I'm leaning towards public, but I'm not sure if that's normal for Catholic families to do in St. Louis.

The Catholic school system here is so amazing lots of non-Catholic families send their kids to Catholic schools. And, depending on where you live, the public schools are quite strong in many parts of the county and I would wager that many public schools are majority Catholic. If you send your kids to a public school, it's not like they'll be a minority or anything. I mean....come on!....it's St. Louis! lol. It's a very Catholic city. If you do choose to go parochial, there are many, many solid options and depending on where you're moving, I can certainly recommend some.

For public schools, the Rockwood and Parkway districts are especially strong in West County. Ladue and Clayton, a bit closer to the city, are pretty solid, too. The only really terrible schools are St. Louis City public schools....so much so the Catholic school system has capitalized on it and become really very dominant in the city.

If you're looking at Catholic schools....St. Louis University High is one of the better ones in the city. Visitation, desmet, JFK, and, as my story suggests, Nerinx Hall are all very, very good (though, obviously, Nerinx Hall is all-girls). Christian Bros. High is a really good Jesuit school and has excellent college placement (I think it's all-boys, though I could be wrong). If you're gonna be in West County...Gateway Academy, though pretty pricey, is an excellent Catholic school in Chesterfield. You can rest assured that no matter where you are in the metro area, you will be very close to any number of good private schools.

[aragx6]

SLU High is all boys too, Visitation all girls, very few of the best ones are co-ed. (One of my bigger pet peeves, and a reason I'd be loathe to send my kid to one of them)

[anduarto]

Yeah, I've often wished the archdiocese would work to support the public schools in the city rather than undercut them. Often seems like they're exploiting the situation at the public schools expense (vouchers, etc).

But I guess that's another thread.

Lots of good public school districts to choose from. Hopefully, one day we'll be able to say that about the St. Louis City school districts as well. Maybe if we move more of the tax-base back into the city...

[raspystl]

haha. It's so true that people do ask that alot around the STL. It does say alot about a person for example. I graduated Northwes high in north jefferson County. And just as many would suspect aftering hearing this yes I m caucasion.

[raspystl]

Yes I gre up in a trailor, yes I have a criminal record, yes I love outdoor activities, oh and yes I love to drink. lol. However I did go to college and don't live on disibility. guess i don't fully live up to the north jefferson county sterotype

[Annie1283]

I highly disagree with the idea that private Catholic schools are somehow superior to Archdiocesan Catholic high schools. As an alum and a staff member at Rosati-Kain High School, I can tell you that our standards of education are equal and in some cases superior to those of many of our provate competitors. We are an accredited college prepartory school with strict admission standards. In addition, we have a 100% college acceptance rate. Our students come from 64 zip codes and 118 different Catholic grade schools all over St. Louis County, City, Illinois, St. Charles, etc....

And as for the comment:

Originally Posted by anduarto

Yeah, I've often wished the archdiocese would work to support the public schools in the city rather than undercut them. Often seems like they're exploiting the situation at the public schools expense (vouchers, etc.)

Archdiocesan schools are most certainly NOT undercutting the public schools. The tuition vouchers that the St. Louis City School District can give to families can only be used at other PUBLIC schools, not Catholic ones, so Archdiocesan school are NOT undercutting the public schools at all. Students who come from city schools must pay full tuition at the same rate as everyone else does. Their entrance criteria are the same as anyone else.

Lastly, the schools listed by the second poster are very limited:

Originally Posted by WestCoDude

If you're looking at Catholic schools....St. Louis University High is one of the better ones in the city. Visitation, desmet, JFK, and, as my story suggests, Nerinx Hall are all very, very good (though, obviously, Nerinx Hall is all-girls). Christian Bros. High is a really good Jesuit school and has excellent college placement (I think it's all-boys, though I could be wrong). If you're gonna be in West County...Gateway Academy, though pretty pricey, is an excellent Catholic school in Chesterfield. You can rest assured that no matter where you are in the metro area, you will be very close to any number of good private schools.

If you'd like a complete list of ALL the Catholic high schools in St. Louis, including every private and Archdiocesan school, visit: Archdiocese of St. Louis and click on the Education link. There is a full list with links to all of the schools' websites.

[northbayeric]

Originally Posted by Northwoods Voyager

Back in the 'dark ages' I attended Beaumont. Told a few people CBC, just to see what reaction I would get. Oh, I am of the female persuasion. sometimes that would stop the questions. But, that question was not as elitist then as evidently some are posting here. Just part of the area. I find it rather humorous at times.

Beaumont! Small world! (No, I didn't attend Beaumont, but rather McCluer's arch-rival). Actually my mom, God rest her soul, went to Beaumont, class of 1949!

[northbayeric]

Originally Posted by anduarto

Lots of good public school districts to choose from. Hopefully, one day we'll be able to say that about the St. Louis City school districts as well. Maybe if we move more of the tax-base back into the city...

Sorry, but that's not working for public schools in the Washington, DC area. Public monies are totally going down a rathole there. But you deserve much credit for your concern about the St. Louis Public Schools. Its current situation cannot be. Until there's more monogamy and less illegitimacy among those who reside within the school district, things aren't going to improve, I'm afraid. When the family structure is in such utter shambles as it is in far too many cases in the city of St. Louis, public school teachers are powerless, and face a hopeless situation.

[aragx6]

To suggest that monogamy and illegitimacy are the causes is short-sighted. Poverty is the root cause. There are many one-parent families in the middle and upper classes and their children do have the same problems in school as in poor families.

[WestCoDude]

Originally Posted by Annie1283

I highly disagree with the idea that private Catholic schools are somehow superior to Archdiocesan Catholic high schools. As an alum and a staff member at Rosati-Kain High School, I can tell you that our standards of education are equal and in some cases superior to those of many of our provate competitors. We are an accredited college prepartory school with strict admission standards. In addition, we have a 100% college acceptance rate. Our students come from 64 zip codes and 118 different Catholic grade schools all over St. Louis County, City, Illinois, St. Charles, etc...


Archdiocesan schools are most certainly NOT undercutting the public schools. The tuition vouchers that the St. Louis City School District can give to families can only be used at other PUBLIC schools, not Catholic ones, so Archdiocesan school are NOT undercutting the public schools at all. Students who come from city schools must pay full tuition at the same rate as everyone else does. Their entrance criteria are the same as anyone else.

Lastly, the schools listed by the second poster are very limited:


If you'd like a complete list of ALL the Catholic high schools in St. Louis, including every private and Archdiocesan school, visit: Archdiocese of St. Louis and click on the Education link. There is a full list with links to all of the schools' websites.

Yeah...it was a limited list. There are definitely many, many more great Catholic schools in the area. And I completely agree that the archdiocesan schools are not undercutting public education. If anything...they are the last saving grace for so many kids in the city needing a good education. When the public schools utterly fail you, it's a GOOD thing that St. Louis has such a strong parochial ed structure to support these students. I guarantee that if the public schools took care of their own business and got serious about education, nobody would bother pinning all the problems on the Archdiocese because people would actually WANT to go to public schools. But until St. Louis schools get serious about their job--the Catholic schools will continue to fill that niche.