Despite the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic, St. John Regional Catholic School in Frederick, which serves grades Pre-K to eight, has managed to increase its student enrollment from 466 students in Fall 2020 to 608 students in January 2022.
Dr. Annette Jones, who took on leadership of the school as principal in 2020, noted St. John Regional was able to open classes successfully for in-person learning for the academic year 2020-2021 while maintaining a safe environment.
Effective communication with parents and family engagement encouraged existing and new parents to remain active in the St. John Regional community, despite social distancing protocols.
Dr. Jones said “building a good team” is key for enrollment success. Her team includes Advancement Director Lara Schumacher and Admissions Director Katharine Galvas, both of whom were parents of St. John Regional students before becoming part of the staff.
Before joining St. John Regional, Jones wrote “Pathways to Enrollment Growth and Retention for Catholic School Leaders” in collaboration with Adam Dufault, superintendent of schools of the Diocese of Columbus. The book talks about marketing and retention and sets forth a template for schools.
At the beginning of the 2020-21 academic year, 65 percent of the student body enrolled in in-person classes and 35 percent participated in at-home learning, whereas by the end of the same academic year, 82 percent attended in person and 18 percent at home.
The school followed COVID-19 protocols template provided by the Archdiocese of Baltimore and created a plan for St. John’s. One of the biggest challenges was the constant change in mandates and therefore, modifications to the original plan.
According to Jones, effective communication with parents took place in the form of emails, newsletters, letters from teachers and phone calls.
Schumacher noted families were able to engage actively in school activities, such as a family fun night, gala auction, golf tournament, annual run, financial aid night and several service projects.
As a part of the welcoming process, once new families are enrolled in the school community, they are then connected with mentor families who have been at the St. John’s community for several years.
When Jones saw the demand for in-person education, she took the critical decision of moving forward from a two-track school to a three-track school for the 2021-22 academic year.
According to a press release, St. John Regional Catholic School has been providing students in Frederick with quality education within the framework of the Gospel since 1829, when the school was established.
“We’re building a school where we encourage our children to be courageous, responsible, unselfish and Christlike,” said Schumacher, who has been a school parent since 2013.
“There’s no more time that our children will spend away from us (parents) than when they are in school,” she added. “I want to know that the person teaching my child embraces those qualities.”
Galvas said the number one priority of the families who come for tours is Catholic education.
“They want to have their kids in a Catholic environment; going to church within the school, having religion classes and learning the sacraments,” she said.
According to Schumacher, many public schools around the Frederick area were not able to launch in-person learning for 2020-21. Parents found value in the stability and quality of private, Catholic education while maintaining safety protocols.
“I think parents are looking for a safe and consistent learning environment,” Galvas said. “Parents can see we are committed to staying open.”
According to Jones, the school expects to achieve an enrollment of at least 612 students by the end of the 2021-22 academic year.
Galvas noted that in 2021, St. John Regional had 249 applicants who were parishioners and 86 new applicants who were referred by family and friends.
“I think the attitude of gratitude and working with our families is key,” Jones said. “We truly appreciate the prayers and collaboration support we receive from our parents throughout the year.”
Click here for more information about St. John Regional’s upcoming open house Jan. 30, 2022.
Email Priscila González de Doran at pdoran@CatholicReview.org
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