St. Joseph School - Registration Information

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Admissions Policy
Tuition and Fee Payment
Tuition Assistance
Tuition
Registration Forms

ADMISSIONS POLICY

St. Joseph School, operated under the auspices of the Diocese of Joliet, admits students of any race, sex, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally available to students at the schools. Students preparing to enter St. Joseph School must meet all requirements of the State, Diocese, and St. Joseph Parish/School Policy. The determination for admission made by the pastor and principal is final.

Admission Priority

1. Siblings of currently enrolled students at St. Joseph School whose parents/guardians are in accord with the expectations and guidelines of St. Joseph School.
2. Children of active registered parishioners of St. Joseph School as demonstrated by regular Sunday attendance, parish involvement, and contributions.
3. Children transferring from other Catholic Schools.
4. Non-Parishioners and transfers from public schools.

A child entering St. Joseph School’s Three-year old Program must be three years old by September 1st of the entry year. The child MUST be toilet trained by September 1st. A child entering the Four-year old program must be four years old by September 1st of the entry year. The child MUST be toilet trained by September 1st.

All incoming Kindergartners must be five years of age by September 1st. All incoming First Grade students must be six years of age by September 1st . In some unique cases, students that do not meet the September 1 requirement may be admitted after further evaluation by the staff and administration. Under these circumstances, the principal and pastor have the final placement determination.

At all times, St. Joseph School reserves the right to refuse students whose needs can not be met by its program.

Transfer Students

Students entering St. Joseph School from another school must present an official transcript/certification of the grade level for which he/she is applying. Records from the previous school will be examined before the student is formally admitted. Parents are asked to sign a release of records form that allows the former school to send cumulative files and health records. The Birth and Baptismal certificates are required.

New students are accepted on a probationary basis. During this probationary period, the student's academic performance and behavior and parental support of school policy will be reviewed before permanent acceptance is given. In the case of transfer students, preference will be given to those students transferring from other Catholic Schools. Generally, students are not accepted into the 7th and 8th grade unless they have recently moved into the community and have previously attended Catholic school. During this time the principal and faculty will ascertain whether the school is able to meet the student's needs, and whether he/she is able to adjust to St. Joseph School.

The Department of Public Health requires that physical and dental examinations, as well as current booster immunizations, are necessary for all new students, and students entering school for the first time, Pre-school, Kindergarten, and the Fifth grade. The completed forms are required no later than the first day of school. Failure to comply will cause the child to be excluded from attendance. Ordinarily a student who has transferred from St. Joseph School will not be re-admitted. Readmission will be at the discretion of the principal.

TUITION AND FEE PAYMENT

The tuition contract has different payment options. These options are divided into two different categories. We offer a Contributing Parishioner and Non-Contributing/ Non-Parishioner rate. St. Joseph Parish provides significant financial support to our school. (It is the second largest source of income for our school.) The financial subsidy from our parish allows our tuition to stay at a reasonable rate. Our families who participate in the Parish community are rewarded not only with the gifts and graces that the mass brings, but also a substantial discount in tuition. However, to receive these rewards, you must participate. Families that choose not to participate in the St. Joseph Parish will be charged a non-parishioner tuition rate.

While regular attendance at weekly mass and established contributions (minimal $15.00 per week) are used to measure this level of activity, there are many ways that families can impact the parish community in a positive way. Throughout the school year, we will be encouraging and inviting your family to continue, renew, or expand your participation. We encourage our families to look within themselves and offer your talents and time to our church. We believe that your family will learn that the benefit of this participation to the parish and the parishioners is remarkable. We are most confident that your family will be enriched through this experience.

As a community that offers encouragement and support, we seek to meet our families needs. If difficulties or unique situations arise, please do not hesitate to contact Miss Scheffler or Father Tom. Exceptions to weekly contribution requirements may be requested from the pastor. Tuition must be kept current, and along with fees must be paid before report cards are issued, records are transferred, or students are admitted for the next term.

TUITION ASSISTANCE

The choice of Catholic education is one that requires many sacrifices on our parent's part. In an effort to help assist with the tuition costs, we offer options to reduce your financial obligations to the school. The participation in our Manna program offers the opportunity for tuition reduction, and the continued efforts of our fundraisers seek to keep tuition rates reasonable.

The St. Joseph Development program will offer scholarship applications to all students. The requirements may be based upon need, academic standing, and qualities becoming of a St. Joseph School student. Applications for these scholarships are available in the school office. Recognizing that unforeseen circumstances can occur, the Development Committee additionally has funding available to help ease the burden of a financial or emergency situation. These funds are distributed progressively through the administration of the Pastor and Principal.

St. Joseph School has a Tuition Review Committee and Parishioner Status Committee that are made up of the Pastor, Principal, and School Board liaison. This committee reviews requests from school families who request an exception to the established tuition plan due to special circumstances and reviews active parishioner status.

TUITION

Tuition and fees for the upcoming school year are outlined below. Each new family is assessed a $150.00 registration fee. This fee is non-refundable once the principal acknowledges acceptance.

The anticipated costs to educate a child at St. Joseph School are estimated at $3800 per child. We are blessed by a generous parish and school family support of our educational efforts. Funding for St. Joseph School is composed of four sources: tuition, parish subsidy, fundraising, and development proceeds. As much as stewardship is a part of the Catholic parish life, St. Joseph School strongly encourages its families to participate in fundraising projects each year. While we offer many opportunities for fundraising, there are two mandatory obligations that must be met by each family. Refer to the tuition contract for details.

Parish Support

Parents who are members of St. Joseph Parish are invited to be active members of our faith community by sharing the gifts of time, treasure, and talents. Regular attendances at weekly masses and established contributions (minimal $15.00 per week) have been used to measure this level of contributing parishioner status. Our greatest concern is weekly attendance at mass and Holy Eucharist. This example of your participation in the life of your parish will form your child's religious and spiritual experience. You are your child's most important role model. St. Joseph Parish is an important part of your child's spiritual development and experience. Your family's participation in this Parish community is essential to your family's spiritual development, your family's integration into this community, and a significant part of your children's education.

Our families who participate in the Parish community are rewarded not only with the gifts and graces that the mass brings, but also a substantial discount in tuition. However, to receive these rewards, you must participate. Families that are not active members of the St. Joseph Parish may be changed to non-parishioner tuition rate when tuition obligations are determined. Exception to weekly contribution requirements may be requested by the pastor. All families are encouraged to support St. Joseph Parish with their time, treasure, and talents.

Tuition for the 2006-2007 school year has been established as follows:

K-8	1 Child	2 Children	3+ Children
Contributing/1 payment	$2,400	$3,525	$4,190
Contributing/10 payments	$2,500	$3,700	$4,350
Contributing Full Cost	$3,750	$7,500	$11,250
Non-Contributing/1 payment	$3,900	$7,200	$10,360
Non-Contributing/10 payments	$4,000	$7,500	$10,600
Pre-School
3-Year old	$1,250 or 10 payments of $125
4-Year old	$1,650 or 10 payments of $165

In addition to the above tuition rates, a $200 per child student fee (K-8 only) is required to be paid by June 15, 2006. Also, each K-8 family agrees to sell ten $25 Cash Raffle tickets by March 5, 2007. Each K-8 family is also required to work 10 total family hours during Octoberfest (or pay $150 per parent in lieu of working).

REGISTRATION

Please fill out, sign and return the following forms as appropriate.

Registration Form for New Families 2006-07
Tuition Policies for 2006-07
K-8 Tuition Contract for 2006-07
Pre-School Registration Form for 2006-07
Pre-School Tuition Contract for 2006-07