Admission Requirements:
Our Lady of Fatima Parish School is a ministry of Our Lady of Fatima Parish. It is the school's mission to assist parishioners in their duty to educate their children in the Catholic faith. The school fulfills this mission not only through the religion curriculum, but also through the teaching of the entire academic curriculum in the context of a faith community.
Our Lady of Fatima Parish School admits students of any race, color, and national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, or national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, scholarships and loan programs, athletic programs, and other school-administered programs.
Requirements for Admission to Kindergarten:
- To be considered for admission to kindergarten, a child must be five years of age on or before August 31st.
- Applicants for admission to kindergarten will be considered in the following order:
- Children of active, participating parish members who have siblings who will be in the school (OLF) the next academic year.
- Children of active, participating parish members as defined below who do not have siblings in the school.
- Other children with siblings who will be in the school in the next academic year.
- Other Catholics.
- All other children.
If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number set by the School Commission, the final determination of admission will be made by the principal and pastor using the above as a guideline.
Degrees of active parish participation will be assessed from such criteria as:
- History of participation in parish worship, the Mass.
- History of financial support of the parish.
- Involvement in other aspects of parish life.
- Other circumstances specific to particular families.
Admission for Grades Other Than Kindergarten:
Fatima students who have successfully completed their current grade level will have priority for admission to the next grade level.
Transfer Students:
To be considered for admission, a transfer student must have successfully completed the preceding grade level and give evidence of ability to succeed at Our Lady of Fatima Parish School. Admission for grades K through 5 will be determined using the guidelines and procedures set out above.
Transfer students in grades 6, 7, or 8 will be accepted on a discretionary basis. Transfers are contingent upon a satisfactory review of the student’s school progress at the end of the previous year. There must be sufficient evidence of good behavioral and academic effort, as well as a spirit of cooperation.
The Admissions Policy, as all other matters in the parish and all decisions, are subject to the pastor's approval as is required by Canon Law.
Registration
Registration of students for the next school year is taken each year in the Spring. Re- registration of children already enrolled is taken first, followed by new registrations. Priority is given to Our Lady of Fatima parishioners. Registration and tuition contracts are sent to all school families through the weekly packet.
Tuition
The tuition schedule is communicated each spring and is given with the yearly tuition contract. There are both In-Parish and Non-Catholic schedules. For the purposes of this policy, an Our Lady of Fatima parish family is one in which at least one parent or guardian is baptized Catholic, children in the family are baptized Catholic, and the family actively participates in the life of the parish. Active participation in the life of the parish involves a sustained commitment on the part of the family to the larger family that is Our Lady of Fatima Parish, and includes being registered as parish members, being active participants in the Eucharistic celebrations of the parish, having a sacrificial giving card on file, and making regular contributions to the financial support of the parish through the Sunday envelope system. Tuition and Sacrificial Giving both are monitored through the school office.
Tuition may be paid in full or in monthly installments. Our Lady of Fatima uses the SMART Tuition payment program. Parents may check which option they prefer on the tuition contract.
Financial Assistance:
Financial Assistance is available for families who are unable to meet the full cost of tuition.
Those seeking financial assistance must apply the Spring before the next school year. Packets are available through the principal’s office. The application for tuition assistance is considered complete when the applicant’s current year’s income tax return is on file with the application itself.