Enrollment grows at SMSA

By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor

Enrollment is growing at St. Mary’s-St. Alphonsus Regional Catholic School in Glens Falls.

“For next year…we’re anticipating 125 (students) for grades K to 8, which is a big bounce,” says Father Scott VanDerveer, pastor of both the school and St. Mary’s Church. “We’re anticipating potentially two kindergartens, two first grades and a return of eighth grade, all in the same year.”

SMSA suspended its eighth grade this year, rather than run with minimal numbers, Father Scott said.

New Principal Patrick Gormley said they aim to grow younger and especially middle school grades, to feed into the later years.

“Ideally,” Mr. Gormley says, “at some point in the near future, if we had two classes per grade level, we would be at a point where we would be really thriving.”

“The nadir,” or low point, Father Scott said, was “in the last couple of years,” 2020-forward, when K-8 enrollment dropped below 100 students

He called this “a linear regression path,” adding, “The program would not be able to survive for five years, based on trends. We were not willing to let that happen, especially because we know this school is such a jewel.”

“In the whole corridor from Saratoga to Plattsburgh,” he said, “educational options dwindle if St. Mary’s doesn’t thrive, and it’s been very clear to us this community wants this to be an option for pre K through middle school.’

“We hear more and more people saying they would love to see us open a high school,” as its once had, Father Scott said. “I would just say there’s enough of an entrepreneurial spirit here that we take note of it. We’re not actively moving in that direction, but there is an openness to see if the desire for that could reach a point where it would make sense for our community.”

This year’s program has 102 students in grades K-7. The breakdown: 21 in Kindergarten, 17 in first grade, 14 in second, 9 in third, 11 in fourth, 10 in fifth, 11 sixth and 9 seventh graders.

They still have a long way to go. The recent high was 238 students, K-8, in 2010. The last time they had two sections in any grades was 2017, with 196 students — notably long-time principal Kate Fowler’s last year, Father Scott adds.

Tuition is $5,800 for the middle school, grades 6-8, and $5,600 for grades K to 5.

Next year that will rise by $200 in both cases, Mr. Gormley said, who adds that “a lot” of financial aid is available

Noah’s Ark pre-school charges $215 a week for its full five-day program, which will rise to $275 a week next year.

Father Scott said the preschool, added in 1994, shortly after the high school program ended, has become “a cornerstone,” with several sections and a waiting list.

Mr. Gormley said, even while looking to grow the aim is “keeping the classes to a manageable number,” something near their current 12-to-one student-teacher ration. “That helps us to promote the idea that smaller classes are better, and that students learn more effectively in a class where they can get more attention from the teacher.”

They emphasize “using the community as a classroom,” including programs at the Hyde art museum, Chapman Historical Museum and Crandall Library. Father Scott said, while spiritually based, “We’re not a very sectarian religious environment…or proselytizing.” He said a third of students are non-Catholic.

They’ve enhanced sports with after-school teams in basketball, soccer and track. Mr. Gormley said they aim to add golf and tennis and “hopefully baseball and softball in the future.”

Music, art, dance and theater is part of classes and extra curricular activities.

They’ve brought the lunch program back in-house, with more home-made foods prepared by one professional and many volunteers; enhanced the library program with more volunteers — vetted, Father Scott adds.

SMSA to join some HF modified sports teams

Chronicle Managing Editor Cathy DeDe writes: Beginning next year, St. Mary’s-St. Alphonsus Regional Catholic School has been approved by New York State’s Section II Athletics to partner with the Hudson Falls modified sports program.

SMSA Principal Patrick Gormley calls such a partnership between a public and private school “unusual.”

Offerings are to include girls’ and boys’ soccer, swimming and basketball among others. Mr. Gormley says.

“It’s not a merger,” but rather a short-term plan while they aim to grow their own sports in-house. He noted that even without combining forces, the SMSA girls modified basketball team just finished their season 8-0, against local public schools.

It’s part of SMSA efforts to attract students by adding “robust” extracurricular programs, including sports, Mr. Gormley said. Transportation and other details are still to be determined.

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