Rapid City Catholic School System

300 Fairmont Boulevard

Rapid City, SD 57701

6 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 10, 2025

This review is primarily for the PK-5th school, St Elizabeth Seton. We have attended many different Catholic schools around the country. While the classroom environment for most of the teachers seems wonderful, there are, unfortunately, some very glaring exceptions. There a handful of teachers that have been at the school for a long time and they are very obviously the principal's favorites, as the younger and more engaged teachers are constantly being overruled on any changes, advancements, and suggestions by the senior staff. In addition, my child's 5th grade teacher played favorites with a few students (high-profile families), and was hypercritical of most of the other students. So much so, that my child, who previously loved school and got nearly all perfect scores, nearly failed in the classes with that teacher, while still getting all As in every other class. There was also some very troubling bullying, both verbal and physical, happening in several grades while we were there. The principal offered platitudes and said that she would look into issues when we brought them forward, but then follow up with a call explaining why the bullying happened, but with no consequences or plan to stop it or even garner an apology. Only some of the grades get to attend Mass regularly, which was especially discouraging, since this is the only Catholic school option for the area. And there does not seem to be a very strong Catholic culture, at least at the elementary school.We did have some truly wonderful teachers, and the counseling staff were very helpful and involved. There are several academic extracurricular opportunities for the kids.All in all, academically, I feel like our kids could thrive anywhere, so long as we as parents are involved and the teachers are good. One of the primary reasons we pay for Catholic Education is to have our kids surrounded by Catholic culture and values. St Elizabeth Seton doesn't & feels like a elitist private school that just so happens to have a Mass occasionally and has religious statues & pictures. I feel like the principal is the captain of the ship and this principal has been at this school and done things her way so long that she doesn't seem to listen to anyone who disagrees with her. It shows and I will not recommend the elementary school to anyone, so long as that is the case.
Submitted by other on May 10, 2024

There are several positive attributes to this school, but some glaring cons. Positive is that they offer children 2-3 recesses per day. These will be taken away if the child is behind in their work. This is referred to as “homework help”. They also allow students to have a snack in the morning which is so important. They have fun friday every week, and still have holiday parties- many schools have done away with this. They encourage parents to help and be around the school, which is refreshing. However, coming from larger metro areas, it gave us pause at the lack of security/safety measures in place. This school “system” is extremely proud of their difficult curriculum, calling it rigor and discipline. They are very out of touch with current research and educational principles, and not open to discussion. Homework begins in 1st grade, and just increases as the grade level goes up. By 4th grade, you can expect your child to have around 1.5 hours of homework a night. Current research shows how detrimental homework is for lower elementary students. This has been thoroughly researched and yet SES will not acknowledge the facts. It shows their ignorance and lack of desire to do what’s best for the students. As most schools, they could improve their communication, especially with new families. New families are just thrown in and expected to figure it out, or ask other parents. The religion classes are far lacking in catholic education. They’d be far better off using that time to implement a character and leadership curriculum, as cliques are a huge issue as the grades progress. They are very heavily focused on math curriculum and place a lot of pressure on students beginning in 2nd grade. The school does not acknowledge students for outstanding achievement, unless it was recognized by an outside organization. There are no “good citizen” awards, etc. There are no school assemblies to boost community and celebrate accomplishments.There are many positives here, especially if you want to push your young children beyond what is recommended. If you value family time, mental health, and developmentally appropriate workload, this is probably not the right choice. If your child works best under pressure, and high expectations, SES would be a good fit. Overall, the school seems to operate on antiquated Catholic school principles, ones that have been eradicated in more educated metro areas.
Submitted by parent on March 20, 2024

All five of my children graduated from RCCSS in the years spanning 2012-2021. I highly recommend RCCSS to any families looking to educate their child in all areas: Intellectual, Spiritual, Emotional and Physical. The whole health of the student is considered and nurtured. RCCSS is a Catholic School rooted in relationship with Jesus and relationship with others.Education is a hard business today. The pandemic has resulted in many challenges for children and families. I firmly believe RCCSS is a place where students and families are welcomed and encouraged to be their best.Our teachers, administration and staff are hardworking, dedicated and following the mission of our system: Developing personal and academic excellence in the Catholic Tradition.Come join us in this endeavor and let's work together for our children, our families and our community.
Submitted by parent on June 28, 2021

This school system is run like a business, and not one with children in mind. Teachers are allowed to behave inappropriately and parent concerns are dismissed. There is high turnover in staff, so many are inexperienced. Tuition is high enough, but they are constantly asking for more money- everything is a fundraiser for the school and they will nickel and dime you. Inequality runs rampant and elitism is the foundation.
Submitted by parent on December 11, 2016

School is horrible teachers are not willing to help the students only point out the bad side of the students. STM should not call itself a private school more like an over priced public school with the bad behavior of the students and teachers not willing to help.
Submitted by parent on May 26, 2011

I am still on the fence about some of the strategies and overall attitudes of staff. The staff rarely smiles and seems to focus more on the negative attributes of students rather than reinforcing their gifts.There is also a new measure by the school to take role at church...this is very disturbing. If you are found to be an inactive Catholic, by their standards...you pay an extra $1500 a year. Some organization is needed in notifying parents of events...and their are other teaching methods besides worksheets.