(614) 235-1396 - Elementary | (614) 235-4940 - Preschool

Admissions and Enrollment

St. Catharine School exists to serve the community, particularly the Catholic community of St. Catharine
Parish. In addition, the school helps to reinforce parental efforts to share faith values with their
children. St. Catharine School is open to children of parents who sincerely seek an education that
integrates the Catholic faith with a strong academic curriculum.

  • St. Catharine School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the
    rights, privileges, programs, and activities made available to students at the school. It does not
    discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its
    educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other
    school-administered programs.
  • The principal will deny admission to anyone who, in his/her opinion, seeks to enroll for the
    purpose of circumventing the laws or court order affecting integration in public schools.

Key Dates for 2024-2025 Admissions and Enrollment

December 4, 2023 – January 10, 2024: Re-enrollment of current students
January 10, 2024; 8:00 am: Application window opens for new families and siblings of current families
January 31, 2024: Deadline for priority acceptance. Applications received after this deadline will be
reviewed separately on a first come first served basis.
March 15, 2024: Diocese of Columbus Tuition Assistance Deadline
April 4, 2024: Kindergarten Screening (for prospective 2024-2025 kindergarten students)

2024-2025 New Student Application Information

  • New families and current St. Catharine families must complete an application for each new
    student seeking admission. (Students from St. Catharine Preschool wishing to attend
    kindergarten at St. Catharine School will not submit applications. Rather, their re-enrollment
    packet will serve as the child’s application for admittance into kindergarten.)
  • A child must be five years old by September 30 in order to enroll in kindergarten. Parents
    interested in early entrance must confer with the principal and acquire a copy of the Diocesan
    policy governing early entrance. Students must attend a state approved kindergarten before
    being admitted to first grade.
  • Incomplete or false information may cause rejection of an application.
  • An application is considered complete once all the following have been completed:
    • Submit a completed online application and application fee
    • Submit the following by uploading to the application or submitting directly to the
      school:
      ▪ Birth certificate
      ▪ Baptismal certificate, if Catholic
      ▪ Copies of any custody-related court documents, if applicable
      ▪ Most recent report card (if applying for grades1-8)
      ▪ Most recent standardized test results (OST, STAR, MAP, etc.) (if applying for
      grades 1-8)
      ▪ Most recent IEP, Academic Support Plan, or 504 Plan (if applicable)
    • Schedule a tour with our school principal and/ or preschool director
    • Students applying for the 6th-8th grade only: Schedule a “shadow day” with the current grade level by contacting the school office
  • Completed applications are reviewed and approved once the January 31 deadline for priority acceptance has passed. (All incoming Kindergarteners will need to complete a screening on April 4th before they are offered final acceptance.)
  • Priorities for acceptance are as follows

Priority Levels for acceptance of new students (January 10 – January 31, 2024)

Category 1 Sibling of St. Catharine School student (parishioner* of St. Catharine)
Category 2 Sibling of St. Catharine School Student (parishioner* of other Catholic churches)
Category 3 Sibling of St. Catharine School student (non-Catholic)
Category 4 St. Catharine Preschool family (parishioner* of St. Catharine)
Category 5 St. Catharine parishioner*
Category 6 St. Catharine Preschool family (parishioner* of other Catholic Churches; nonCatholic)
Category 7 Parishioners* of other Catholic Churches
Category 8 Non-Catholic Families

*Good standing parishioner who attends weekend Mass and contributes to the needs and mission of the parish.

Please note:
• All the above serve as guidelines. The Pastor and principal have the final decision on all student
admissions.

Applications received on or before the January 31, 2024 deadline for priority acceptance will be
reviewed on a first come, first served basis, by the date and time the application was complete,
and within the prioritized structure.
• Applications received after the January 31, 2024 deadline for priority acceptance will be
reviewed separately and on a first come, first served basis, by the date and time the application
was complete. The prioritized structure does not apply to applications completed after the
January 31, 2024 deadline.
• A waitlist will be established per grade level when the available seats for that grade have been
filled. Every attempt will be made to place families. The order of the waitlist will be based on
the above guidelines.

Admission and Enrollment
• Applications that have been considered “Accepted” or “Conditionally Accepted” will move on to
Enrollment.
• Families will be contacted to complete Enrollment. Enrollment is only considered completed
once the online enrollment paperwork has been completed and submitted through the FACTS
Family Portal, including setting up the family’s FACTS Tuition Account and submitting any
required documents and fees. The custodial parent is required to submit a certified copy of any
child custody documents pertaining to his/ her child(ren).
• Failure to complete the enrollment paperwork (for both returning and new students) by the
given deadline may result in the student losing his or her space at the school.
• Enrollment and continued attendance at St. Catharine School require adherence to the policies
and standards of the school.