St. Odilia School

3495 Victoria Street North

Shoreview, MN 55126

20 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on July 14, 2023

The teachers at St Os school are top notch. The new principal at the school is kindhearted, supportive of teachers and families and an overall great leader. The teacher retention at the school is remarkable; it is a school in which 10+ year tenures are typical. I believe the retention of teachers is due to the huge support of the community and families. There are countless community building events at this school and it is a great place to be to raise your kids in a kind crew of people.In a world where we are concerned about the social isolation of kids and teens, St. Odilia is a haven of normal socializing in a supportive and welcoming community.
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2023

Do not send your child to this school if he or she is in need of Special Education. The progress with my child since enrolling at this school has taken a major step backwards. Not all of the teachers are aligned with your child's accommodation plan. It is a constant battle to have teachers follow your child's accommodation plan. If you personally are not micro-managing the process with an accommodation plan it won't be done. There seems to be high turnover at the school in the administration and also with the teachers. A majority of the teachers that I have encountered are smug and lack accountability. I do not recommend this school for this reason.
Submitted by parent on May 03, 2022

The community at St. Odilia School is top-notch. I am so thankful that my kids can learn and grow with supportive friends, parents, teachers and staff that care about each other so deeply. My kids are challenged spiritually, academically, socially and emotionally everyday and love going to school.
Submitted by parent on February 16, 2022

St Os is a fantastic place for our 2 kids. They have been in school throughout the pandemic. The teachers and staff care about the kids, they communicate and cater to students that need extra help or are doing well in their work. Great place and a great community of supportive parents and staff.
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2022

We are so pleased with our decision to send our kids to St. Odilia School and Preschool. We love that the school is grounded in solid academics (with support for those that need extra help or an extra challenge), strong values rooted in faith, and a focus on raising kind, well-rounded children. We were also pleased with the response to the pandemic and ensuring our school was safely open for students to learn in person with their teachers. But, perhaps, our favorite thing about the school is the sense of community and friendships our whole family has formed. When I share this with others they often say that is something they wish they had at their school. When a medical emergency unexpectedly hit our family we were surrounded by so much support from our school community. We feel very fortunate to be at St. Odilia.
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2022

We have now been at St. Odilia for four years, with one child transferring in from the public school system and one starting from preschool through grade school. We switched our special needs child due to the class sizes growing and growing in our home district. Our experience has been solid and consistent. We think it is important to realize that this is a faith based school, and as such, these principals are what drives the school and community. We choose to participate within the community and actively engage. The community and school experience is what you make it. Staff has listened to concerns (if you find a school that does everything right, please let me know), addressed issues and always been available to us. Throughout the pandemic, they have kept our kids safe and IN SCHOOL. The size of the classes and grade groups is perfect- not too small, not too big. When our children show (or perhaps not even!) that they are in need of extra help, the amount of resources dedicated to them is above and beyond. My children are never ashamed or embarrassed by going to the specialists- they feel empowered and excited. There are sports leagues dedicated to play within the private school community, there are opportunities to get together as school families and many times where we feel connected to our school. The curriculum is at a higher level than our public school, but I never feel it is too much (maybe a little less homework!). If you think you will find a perfect school with no flaws, you may want to keep looking. St. Odilia isn't afraid of the things it needs or wants to work on. They don't hide things nor pretend there isn't an issue. That being said, I know that St. Odilia is committed to our kids, I know that my children feel seen by their teachers and the staff, I know they are safe and loved. We are thankful to have found this fit for our family.
Submitted by parent on February 10, 2022

We began at St Odilia in the preschool program and never looked back. The teachers here have been wonderful and my children love staying connected with them years after being in their classroom. The small class sizes were an important factor in our choosing to send our kids here. Having three sections per grade is also the ideal size for us (the MV district we're located in can have up to NINE sections per grade). Personal relationships have been great both with teachers and parents- you get what you give, as is the case in any school...BUT I've had some exceptional experiences here. During these "covid years", our children have been IN SCHOOL and that has been much appreciated. Parent involvement opportunities are available and a great opportunity to meet and connect with parents. We're very happy with the decision to send our kids to St. Odilia.
Submitted by parent on October 11, 2021

Sending our kids to this school was a major mistake. The reasons? Like others have mentioned, religious instruction is without question the top priority here, not core subjects. Many of the teachers at the school have been there for so long that they clearly lack much motivation or enthusiasm for actual teaching. Parent-teacher meetings are scheduled for - get ready for this - 7.5 minutes twice a year. That's right - 7 1/2 minutes to talk to your kid's teacher about his or her progress. Finally, there is a VERY strange culture at this school I have never seen elsewhere: parents are unfriendly and unwelcoming unless you are in their social circles in the Shoreview/North Oaks communities. Faculty will walk right past a parent without saying hello - even AFTER they have taught your child the previous year or a few years ago (keep in mind, this is a small school). This happened all the time. It's as if the faculty just really don't care all that much about your kid (or you) after they are through with them for a year. Just a bizarre learning community. FYI: I went to Catholic school K-12 so I consider myself pretty objective about evaluating this school. One last point: many other parents have been pulling their kids out of St. Odilia in recent years and in my conversations with them, we all feel 100% we made the right decision.
Submitted by parent on February 23, 2018

We’ve had a wonderful experience at St. Odilia School. It is a very academically focused school with small class sizes, individual approaches to learning, and emphasizes good character as well. If in question, go take a tour! I don’t think you’ll leave disappointed.
Submitted by other on May 23, 2017

We transferred our child at the end of 2016 from a Montessori school nearby which is several times the cost of St. O's. Our child was looking to make more friends and looking for a well rounded and better focused school with more to offer. We shopped schools in the area before our son ever started school and also shopped St. O's several years before. At the end of last year we gave St. O's another look and noticed many changes since our first visit. The school now under new leadership with Mr. Ragatz and has a much different feel which was easily noticeable. We were very impressed with the new direction. The kids and teachers were upbeat, friendly, compassionate and approachable. My son asked if he could start the next day following his shadow day at St. O's. His friend from the same school shadowed recently and made the exact same comment with the same reaction asking to change to St O's right away. He really enjoys math, science, robotics, Phy Ed, religion, mass, recess and the hot lunch program. He comes from a school which taught no Spelling skills and struggled with language arts to being an A student in all his subjects thanks to the careful lesson planing, homework, demonstrations, working with a specialist and his invested teachers. The school offers projects which change yearly. The kids eagerly look forward to these events and get excited because of the way projects are shared with other grades. The presentation of the students projects to their peers aids in kids confidence and public speaking abilities. He enjoys being able to celebrate and practice his faith as a Lutheran in a Catholic School. I have enjoyed meeting the kids and families which have been very welcoming and friendly. There is a nice diversity of students from from various economic backgrounds. At St. O's volunteers have plenty of opportunity to help or chaperone events after attending a awareness workshop and background check. If you spend time at any of the area schools sitting in on classes and touring schools you will find St. O's is a clear choice for any parent looking for an excellent education without paying upwards $30,000 a year in tuition. St. O's is a bargain well worth the price at a fraction of the cost. My wife and I thought choosing St. O's was a no brainer and the decision of selecting St. O's for our sons education was an easy choice with absolutely no regrets what so ever!
Submitted by parent on April 25, 2017

Our oldest child transferred to St. Odilia last year, and our two youngest will be transferring there in the fall. We have been very happy with this transition. We have been parishioners for many years and have always loved the sense of community and the emphasis on loving and serving your neighbor. This practice of serving others and supporting those in need flows seemlessly from the parish to the school and is integrated into the daily life of the school. The principal knows all of the students and families by name and greets them as they enter their the school in the morning. He is always available when parents have questions. Teachers are very easy to communicate with. We also love that St. Odilia's is a K-8 school. I think it is important for students in their middle school years to be around people that are of all different ages. The middle school students do many activities with the younger students so they learn the importance of being a good role model to them. They can also be seen helping older parionshers by moving tables for them or other tasks. They learn the importance of being part of a larger community which is invaluable at this age. We are very happy to be a part of this community.
Submitted by parent on January 21, 2016

Our family chose St. Odilia School to assist us in enriching our children with thevalues of respect, integrity, honesty and empathy. We found these values are keyqualities in the teaching of the staff at St. Odilia, and we could not have asked fora better fit. This community has become a second home to our family. Throughthe small class sizes and the emphasis on service projects, our daughters have grown in self-confidence and the feeling of responsibility to both themselves and to their community. When discussing her favorite things about St.Odilia School, our oldest continues to bring up not only the friendships she has made buther growing relationship with God and Jesus.
Submitted by parent on January 21, 2016

We switched our kids to St. O from a local private Montessori school when our oldest was just reaching kindergarten age. At the Montessori school, the academics were strong, but just a little too nontraditional for our own preferences. We were happy with this switch right away because of the strong community and great academics at St. O. Even as nonparishioners (we are not Catholic) we readily felt welcome as a new St. O family. At St. O, the principal is easy to find (just watch for him every day at dropoff/pickup), and very focused on the quality of student and parent experience. Most of the teachers have been there much longer than he has (which says a lot about the quality of the school), but faculty and administration seem to have a very strong working relationship. Now that we are established in the St. O community, our kids love going to school every day and we have no thoughts of transferring to our excellent local public school - we are absolutely satisfied with the quality of education and social enrichment our kids are experiencing.
Submitted by parent on November 16, 2015

We have had kids at St. Odilia for the past 5 years, first in preschool and now in elementary. It has been one of the best decisions we've made as parents. We toured many schools and were pretty sure we would be sending our children to the local public school. However, after our tour of St. Odilia we quickly changed our mind. Our decision was based on the academics (smaller class size, focus on technology, superior test scores, and opportunity for all learners to excel) and also the community. The community is one that allows for all children and parents to feel welcome, included and supported. The community at St. Odilia is one that encourages education of the whole child. Not only does the school ensure academic success, it also fosters individual character development. The children learn to be respectful, kind and courageous. I know when my children leave St. Odilia for high school they will have had not only an amazing education, but also be respectful, well rounded, and ready socially, emotionally and spiritually to tackle the next phase of life.
Submitted by other on November 05, 2015

All three of my kids were students at St. Odilia. I have two in high school now and one in middle school at St. O's. St. Odilia does a great job of holding kids accountable when they don't get their schoolwork done/turned in and it's easy to monitor the assignments that are on the horizon to help my child plan ahead for tests and projects. Teachers are easy to contact and very responsive as well. When a kids graduates from St. O's, they are more than ready for the academics and responsibility of high school. I especially like that they respect the rights of parents to be the main teachers of their children and preserve the innocence of kids, especially in an overly sexualized culture. St. O's has made great strides in the past few years to help students of all learning abilities and they are very focused on making sure kids are on target for reading. There also is a sense of community that is hard to find in other schools that makes it very welcoming. There are no perfect schools because we as people are not perfect, but St. Odilia is a excellent choice if you're looking for a great education for your kids!
Submitted by parent on October 28, 2015

We moved to Shoreview from a small town in northern Minnesota in order to send our daughter to a parochial school. Although we visited many good schools around the Twin Cities, we felt St. Odilia had the best all-around reputation. We have been here now for over 8 years and we could not imagine being anywhere else. The teachers and staff at St. Odilia are very dedicated to their students. Many St. Odilia teachers are former St. Odilia students. Over 75% of the teachers have earned their Master's Degrees. Students develop a high degree of self-confidence from caring and engaged teachers and staff. Although the former Principal retired after 35 years in 2013, our new Principal Mr. Brian Ragatz is simply the best we could have ever hoped for. He is continually improving our school and has earned the respect of all students and parents alike. We consider it a real blessing to have him in charge of our kids.
Submitted by parent on June 11, 2014

We transferred from St. Odilia from another Catholic school in the area and it was the best decision we have made. The new principal is amazing and forward thinking. He is open to all suggestions (even individual academic paths) and when he tells you he will get something done-he will. The teachers are friendly, kind, involved and all want the very best for the kids. Their professionalism shows in their approach to different situations (one of the reasons we left the other school). The parents and kids are wonderful too! All-in-all this is by far the best school around!!
Submitted by other on January 25, 2014

Went there for two years and it was the most awful experience of my life. Weak academics and indifferent faculty.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2013

St Odilia elementary school has a wonderful religion, music and arts program. The school also serves a lot of higher income families in the area. Not so impressed with a few of the teachers who have complacent attitudes and lack of concern for children. Our child has individual learning needs and our teacher seemed unwilling to accommodate , and very clearly favored children with no special needs. A few of the good teachers and compassionate principal make this school worth while but there is some need for improvement .
Submitted by parent on November 12, 2012

As a parent, I would not say that teachers generally challenge students to learn. I don't think that this is a school that caters to academically inclined children. My child's teacher is extremely complacent and informed us early on in the year that despite the fact that our child is already familiar with the concepts that she will be teaching throughout the year, she would not be going out of her way to give our child either additional or more challenging work. As a result, our child complains about being bored on a daily basis. I would say that the top priority at the school is religious education and everything else is a very distant second.