Thank you for your interest in applying for admissions to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School. Due to the high volume of applications and very few openings, we are only accepting PreK- 2nd grade applications at this time. If you are looking for grades 3rd-8th grades, you are welcome to apply, but you will not be contacted unless we have an opening. Please do not call school office to inquire about these grades.
We Gesell assess all incoming Kindergarteners. There is a $50 fee for this screening.
We will screen all 1st -8th grade incoming students if we have an available opening. There is no charge.
In accordance with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School admits Catholic and non-Catholic students of any race, color, national origin or gender to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities made available to any of its students.
Prospective families must complete an Application for Admission and submit it along with the most recent report card and standardized test scores. Typically open enrollment for our school takes place each March; families are encouraged to start the application process in January.
Criteria
Students are accepted into our school based on the following criteria:
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Siblings of current students
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Children of registered, active and contributing parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish
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Children of registered, active and contributing Catholics of other parishes without a parish school
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Children of others not listed above
School standardized test scores, as well as previous grades, will be considered along with the above criteria. Prospective students will be given an academic assessment by a grade level teacher; applicants for Kindergarten will be given the Gesell Assessment.
Tuition
The Tuition Schedule is published each year.
Tuition assistance is offered through Catholic Education Arizona (CEA) and Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA).
Families also have the opportunity to reduce their tuition by participating in our Scrip program. Families should review our Financial Resources document for helpful information.
Admissions Policy 2023-2024
In accordance with the Roman Catholic Church of Phoenix, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Grade School admits Catholic and non-Catholic students of any race, color, national origin or gender to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities made available to any of its students. If a student develops an academic need or physical need while enrolled at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Grade School, and the need cannot be met within the limited resources, the school will assist the family in finding an appropriate learning environment that can address the need. St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Grade School is not able to enroll students that have an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Individualized Education Program *
Does your child have an IEP? (if yes, a copy of the IEP must be submitted to the school)
Prospective students with a sibling currently enrolled at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Grade School, will be given first preference. The following criteria (in the order listed) will also be considered in the admissions process:
• Children of registered, active, and contributing parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish.
• Children of registered, active, and contributing Catholics of other parishes without a parish school.
• Children of others not listed above.
Standardized test scores as well as most recent report card must be provided and will be considered along with the above criteria. In addition to these requirements, the Principal has the discretion on all enrollment. New students may have an interview with the Pastor and/or Principal. Applicants for Kindergarten will be screened using the Gesell Assessment to determine if the child is developmentally ready for Kindergarten. There is a one-time, non-refundable $50 fee for the assessment. If the assessment indicates that the child should be gifted with another year of time before entering Kindergarten, the following year’s assessment fee will be waived.
All PreK student must follow the age guidelines:
PreK 4 YO program: must be 4 by June 1, 2023 -if not , they need to enroll in 3 YO program
PreK 3 YO program: must be 3 by June 1, 2023-if not, they need to wait until next year to enroll
