St Mary Elementary School

209 Washington Street

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

GreatSchools Rating

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on March 28, 2023

We are happy St. Mary's is in our community. I'm excited my Grandsons are apart of this school. We have never had a problem with any of the staff. I feel at ease knowing our children are safe. Thank you to all the staff for what you do.
Submitted by parent on April 10, 2014

The school and staff at St. Mary's are amazing. I would not send my children anywhere else.
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2013

I enrolled my child at St Mary's with having good expectations. I was sadly disappointed...being familiar with other Catholic Schools, I couldn't believe the difference. Very unfriendly, cold, and non welcoming. They consistently humiliate and degrade the students as a form of punishment to children with emotional disabilities. The entire staff, faculty, and priest have no training or education on many common disorders such as ADD, ADHA, and etc. They treat them all as behavioral disorders. My child went for 3 years and still has nightmares...even when we drive by the school my child relieves many traumas they endured from when they went there a few years ago.
Submitted by parent on August 01, 2013

My children have been a part of St. Marys School for going on 11 years. I cannot imagine having them in any other setting. They are challenged and are given high expectations, but not unrealistic by any means. The teachers are very involved and caring. Children in the school learn respect for themselves and others and are taught in an atmosphere in which prayer and christian values are allowed. Parents are involved and have as much communication as they would like to have...teacher emails are given multiple times and have always been addressed in my experience. They have not had the resources to accommodate children with special needs and emotional disabilities but have recently added a teacher to help address these needs. It is sad that parents of "grown" children are giving them a bad rating...do they even know what it is like now? I am certainly not from any of THE families of North Vernon by any means.
Submitted by parent on March 27, 2013

I have to agree with the frist review of St Mary's my children who are now grown attended. They were some of the ones that were "pushed out ". My daugther was tested for learning disabilites and the principle seemed very unhappy when she was told that unless punctuation and capitalizaion errors were a disability my child was perfectly fine. All of my children have awful memories of thier time at St Mary's and I would not recomend any child attend there. Unless of course you are from one of "THE " families of North Vernon. It is a very political back biting Payton place school.
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2011

I have 2 children elementary age children who attend this school only because there are no other Catholic or Christian schools nearby. This school does not have a nurturing environment in any way, shape, or form. The kids' and parents' best interest are not considered at all. It's numbers! Yes, the students (who stay) score high academically. Believe me, the ones who had difficulities with learning or emotional or learning disabilities, were pushed out by the staff or pulled out by the parents because their child could not handle further mental distress that the staff will impose on them. Parents are discouraged from coming into the school, the school administration does not welcome parent involvement or SUGGESTIONS. Most of the staff we have dealt with over the years are judgemental and lack in direct parent communication. The only time you will hear from this school is if your kid acts up or you owe them money!