At St. Mary’s School in Hagerstown, vision takes shape to save a school

HAGERSTOWN – Excitement and laughter filled the auditorium at St. Mary Catholic School March 28 as teachers competed in a lively game, using straws to blow paper across tables. Students shouted encouragement for their “house teams,” reveling in the camaraderie of the school’s monthly House Challenge event. 

More than just fun and games, the House Challenge is one of several new initiatives at St. Mary meant to revitalize the school. Every student, teacher and staff member from PreK through eighth grade is now part of one of four houses – St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke or St. John – competing throughout the year in activities that foster teamwork, kindness and school spirit. 

“At the end of the year, the house with the most number of points wins,” said Father James Boric, pastor of St. Mary. “It is a lot of fun.” 

The House Challenge is just one of many changes reshaping the culture and momentum of St. Mary spiritually and academically. 

A major shift this year has been the introduction of daily Mass – a vision championed by Father Boric. Some initially resisted the idea, worrying that required Masses would take away from class time. Father Boric is happy to report that attitude has changed. Four mornings a week, students attend a spoken Mass. On Fridays, a traditional Mass is held with students doing the readings, presenting the offertory gifts and singing in a choir. And it has not taken away from instruction time.  

“As a priest, it is really cool to spend half-an-hour with everyone,” Father Boric said.  

St. Mary, a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School, has also set high academic goals alongside its faith-centered mission. Principal Amy Summers, who joined St. Mary full-time after the 2024 closing of St. Maria Goretti Regional Catholic High School, where she had been principal, now oversees initiatives that include daily Spanish classes, high school credit courses such as Algebra I, new reading materials and an expanded STEM program. Students also spend a lot of time studying virtues. 

By January, just five months into the new academic program, standardized test scores showed measurable improvement. Students in fourth through eighth grades improved in all four tested areas: math and reading rose by two percentage points, language usage jumped nine points and science scores saw a 14-point gain. 

Another positive marker is enrollment. In 18 months, the number of students has increased from 176 to 206. 

“We know we are trying to build something that is sustainable,” Summers said. 

That sustainability comes after a period of instability. In recent years, the school experienced frequent turnover in leadership.  
Father Boric credits the new direction and the renewed energy to the arrival of Summers and a shared vision for long-term growth. 

Approximately 80 percent of the staff is new this year, many of them coming from the former Goretti school.  

Longtime school nurse Kristy Wentz has enjoyed starting the day with Mass, she said, as “experiencing God’s Word sets the tone for our day.” God and faith have always been a part of her life, she said, but this year she decided to become Catholic.  

“I am super excited to be baptized and to be Catholic,” Wentz said. “It has been a wonderful experience here.” 

Father Boric noted that while academics are important, the school has a broader spiritual mission. 

“We are not in the business of education,” he said. “The goal is heaven. That’s the best it gets.”  

‘The Hagerstown Solution’ 

St. Mary Catholic School is experiencing a revival, but financial challenges remain. Parishioners have raised $170,000 in a special fundraiser, but the school still faces a $433,653 deficit – or $2,105.10 per student. 

To bridge that gap, Father Boric is calling on families and local businesses to sponsor students through what he calls “The Hagerstown Solution.” If 124 businesses each sponsor one student annually at $2,105.10, the school can continue serving its more than 200 children. 

Sponsors will be recognized on the school’s website and in weekly parent emails. 

Father Boric hopes to add 20 to 30 companies every year.  

“Within the course of five or six years,” he said, “you’ve got everything you need.” 

He plans to invite business leaders to speak at the school so students can be inspired. 

If the Hagerstown Solution is successful, Father Boric believes it will become a model for saving Catholic schools around the country.  

Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org 

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