St Mark School

26 Melvin Avenue

Catonsville, MD 21228

20 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on August 15, 2023

I have 1 child that has graduated and 1 currently enrolled. The program for kids with special needs is a God send, and the nursing staff is AMAZING! These are what sold me on the school for my oldest. I love the building and the facilities. I love the programs offered and the choice of sports. The school is currently growing and adding onto its offerings. The education at the school is high-mid. It's definitely better than public schools and many private schools, but compared to the private education I received, it often feels like my kids are behind. It's hard to tell if this is a school issue or if it's because the American education system is failing overall. The school is a feeder school to big name high schools, so that can be beneficial. My only issue is that while the school "celebrates diversity" on the surface and has a pretty mixed student population, the need for change and evolution is pervasive. St. Mark celebrates colonialism and definitely pushes antiquated teachings about history and religion. I would like to see St. Mark remove its focus on the colonization of America from the Manifest Destiny perspective and focus more on the effects of the creation of the US. Better yet, teach world history. The students self-segregate. I've only seen 2 non-white teachers. There's an obvious separation between the kids as they are completely aware that St. Mark takes a white-focused approach in teaching. Lastly, there are certain kids with behavioral issues that get overlooked. I've been told that there is a "special family" who can do no wrong and run the school from the parent association. It's believable as one of my kids suffered an assault from a protected kid and there were no consequences.Overall, I'm happy with the experience my children have received. It's the best option that my family has for Elementary and Middle School. My children enjoy being there, and have had better experiences there than at the other schools we tried. As long as your kid is confident and self-aware, they will be fine. We look out for each other.
Submitted by parent on June 23, 2023

St Mark School is the BEST!!! The teacher and staff care about your kids and want them to win It's a great community with lots of parent's support. They make sure your child is well-prepared for high school.
Submitted by parent on November 06, 2021

I have had 2 children graduate and one still enrolled in St. Mark. My older 2 were totally prepared for high school. We have had nothing but positive experiences at St. Mark.
Submitted by parent on June 29, 2021

Amazing school! Wonderful faculty, parents and most importantly students! Second to none!
Submitted by parent on January 08, 2021

We have 3 children enrolled at St. Mark and we couldn't be happier with our experience. I attended Our Lady of Victory from K-8th grade, and my husband was enrolled in BCPS. We toured SO many schools when it came time for Kindergarten, and we found that St. Mark was the best for our child. They have been working through the pandemic with such grace, and with a CAN DO attitude. The teachers and staff are friendly and make it known that they want your child to succeed. They do discipline bad behavior when needed, however they focus more on rewarded positive behavior. This school is truly a blessing for our whole family!
Submitted by parent on July 21, 2020

Extremely blessed to be able to send my children to this amazing school.
Submitted by parent on July 21, 2020

Wonderful education, community, and strong catholic spirit.
Submitted by parent on August 21, 2019

Overall, transferring to St. Mark has been amazing. This is the first religious private school (we've been to 2 others) that I puts students first and not tuition.
Submitted by parent on October 14, 2018

I would not recommend this school to another parent and I do not know if I would ever consider another Catholic school.
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2017

Love this school! 3 kids in the school with my oldest graduating this year! My middle son and youngest both have ADHD and the school and teachers have been amazing and wonderful in working with them! The thing I love the most is the sense of community and the way St. Mark involves the parents. It is truly a school that encourages parent/teacher communication and working together to help your child be their best. I have read some of the negative reviews and find them completely inaccurate but hey, not everyone will be a fan. You are never going to have 100% of the people happy but never have I experienced arrogance, disrespect or a non-caring attitude for anyone at that school. The staff is there because they LOVE what they do. They could easily be paid more in the public school system but choose St. Mark because they LOVE teaching. My daughter and son have both scored very high on standardized testing and my daughter did amazing on her high school entrance exams so quality of education has definitely not been an issue!
Submitted by parent on February 26, 2014

Sent our son to St Mark and chose not to return after a very regretful experience. The teacher was arrogant telling the parents that she had two master degrees and 20 years experience therefore the parents could not tell her anything she didn't already know. She did not have time for the gifted or struggling children and taught her lessons, persumably plans that are recycled year after year, without consideration to the students needs. When I asked the administration if I could sit in on a class to observe so understood my child's experience, I was denied. Children are disciplined, often for minor infactions, by standing on the curb while they watch their friends play at recess. Lunch is eaten in silence. This is not a joyful place for the nuturing and growth of children.
Submitted by parent on April 11, 2013

I have been really thrilled with the faculty at St. Mark. They are not only truly dedicated to each student and their academic progress, but are also very involved in extracurricular activities, fundraisers, movie nights, and tons of other community building events. We very happy to be part of such a great community.
Submitted by parent on January 16, 2013

My daughter is just in kindergarten, so we've only seen this first semester, but I've been thrilled with the school and the community already. They've quickly accepted me, my wife, and my daughter into the community and the other parents clearly care very deeply for the school and its success. The kindergarten teacher my daughter has is so full of life and energy, and is often having a "special" day to help break any monotony that might set in for my daughter, for whom this is her first year in full-time school. As a Redskins fan, I could do without the Ravens pride here--this school practically bleeds purple--but it seems the kids enjoy the enthusiasm for the Ravens especially now during the playoffs. Most importantly, my daughter enjoys school, which to me is the most important thing at this stage in her academic career. It would be horrible for her to start off at a place that turned her off to school. Just this morning, while asking my 5-year-old daughter for her prayers of thanksgiving in the car, she said that she wanted to thank God for her school--out of the blue! I was so excited that I had to come and write this review because I knew I'd made the right choice.
Submitted by parent on January 16, 2013

Teachers are wonderful and take care of all of the students needs. I feel that they are very prepared with a rigorous program. Super sense of community between the faculty, staff, and HASA association.
Submitted by parent on December 17, 2012

Great school! Faculty and Teachers truly care about the whole life and education of the children. Many experienced and engaging teachers keep children interested, focused, and make learning fun. Great math, science, and reading/english/literature teachers and programs. The Catholic nature of the school helps our children feel safe at school, keeps learning wholesome and friendly, and helps filter-out some of the cultural craziness that cannot be filtered-out at public schools, while still keeping the curriculum up-to-date with modern science and current events. Tons of parental, family, and parishioner involvement make this parish school feel like one big family. Many of the teachers were once students at St. Mark, have children that are either alumni or current students, and a few have soon to be students, making the teachers highly invested in the educational quality and overall enviroment of the school. An involved home-school association keeps parents a say in the schools daily events. The online resources, such as "power school" help parents track their students daily progress and classroom performance. Siblings discounts make it affordable for large families.
Submitted by other on October 19, 2012

nice lunch and all kinds of not just one kind.Also its a catholic school. And a great every kid that goes there graduates and goes to a good high school like mount st joe or mount ta sales or mercy and i.n.d
Submitted by parent on June 26, 2012

St. Mark has diminished greatly in the last few years. The principal was out in 2010-2011 and returned for 2011-2012 with a greater emphasis to sweep problems under the rug. Enrollment continues to fall due to the administrations reluctance to deal with problems. While some teachers may modify their lessons due to the students' excitement, they were few. They just got rid of a teacher who did challenge the students without overburdening them with worksheets. They continue with the same lessons for years. If you have several kids, keep the older child's homework and tests, because it will be the same. Call the school and ask what the retention rate is for 2012-13 compared to 2011-12. Enrollment may be skewed due to new people enrolling who are basing St. Mark on reputation and not current reality.
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2012

Clueless teachers and ineffective admin plus ridiculous tuition increases makes this the perfect school to stay away from, in Catonsville, me and several other families have moved to better schools in the past 6 months thanks to the sheer drop in the quality of the education. It has now become a business and all its stands on is its reputation from days gone by. Nothing else! You have been warned.
Submitted by parent on February 02, 2012

This is a mediocre school charging a premium price. If you choose to send your child here, be prepared for relentless tuition increases of nearly 10% per year. I wouldn't feel as bad about that if they could point to the places that are being improved, but they won't (or can't).
Submitted by teacher on January 09, 2012

This is an amazing community school with teachers who ask about the students long after they have gone on to the next grade or graduated. As a faculty member, you couldn't ask for a more caring community to work in. I am constantly impressed with the new teachers and their commintment to quality education, and their flexibility and willingness to work to the best interests of each child. The current principal is caring, professional, and dedicated to making this school the best it can be.