Private school enrollment growing in region

Editor's note: This is the second installment in a series of stories looking at school enrollment.

Roughly one in every six children who attend schools in Cape Girardeau County and the Scott City area are enrolled in private schools, an analysis by the Southeast Missourian shows.

The Southeast Missourian compared public schools in Cape Girardeau County, as well as Scott City, to private schools in the county. The analysis revealed that about 10,600 children were enrolled in public schools. By contrast, 2,067 are enrolled in private schools, which also draw from outside Cape Girardeau County.

The data is not perfect, as some private schools count preschool children, while others do not; public school data does not include preschool enrollment. Also, two private schools in Cape Girardeau County -- St. Vincent DePaul and Cape Christian School -- declined to divulge their numbers; they have no obligation to share the information.

The eight private schools that shared their numbers showed a collective increase of 81 students, or a 4 percent increase. Area public schools showed a 2.4 percent increase overall.

The numbers vary among both public and private schools. Notre Dame Regional High School has shown steady student growth in the last five years, despite a slow recovery from an economic recession that began in 2008. Likewise, Prodigy Leadership Academy, which started in 2009, has seen its enrollment more than quadruple in a short time.

Tony Buehrle, development director at Notre Dame Regional High School, said the economy plays a role in its enrollment "as it does anyone." Tuition for Catholic students, he said, is $4,450 a year. Non-Catholic students pay $6,325 annually. Buehrle said the school's cost to educate each student is $6,975 yearly.

"Our tuition goes up a little bit every year to offset the inflation side," Buehrle said. "We compare ourselves to all private schools in the area, including St. Louis. We're probably in the bottom third" in terms of cost.

"We believe in our mission and our efforts here," Buehrle said. "I think that's why we continue to grow."

Note Dame's student base covers a 50-mile radius of Cape Girardeau. St. Vincent de Paul Parish School and St. Mary Cathedral School once made up more than 50 percent of its student base.

St. Mary Cathedral School, which is prekindergarten through eighth grade, has shown relatively consistent enrollment. While 2013 figures were down from five years ago, the school has shown a steady increase since a low point in 2010. Its enrollment is 278, three off from 2012.

To offset economic challenges, the school works with parish families with individual contracts to pay what they can. For nonparish members, the cost is $4,050 for all grades, except prekindergarten.

Prodigy Leadership has grown faster than founders Amy and Russell Grammer expected when they opened its doors in 2009. The school's enrollment has jumped from 19 students to 113 now.

When asked to what he attributed his school's growth, Grammer said: "It's a pretty dynamic situation, so I'm not sure there's a simple or brief answer. In fact, I'm not even sure I have a grasp on all of the reasons for it. I can tell you it hasn't been intentional, but we do find people tend to come this direction rather quickly."

Its 1301 N. Main St. location is Prodigy Leadership's third. It outgrew its other two locations.

Prodigy Leadership Officer director Carol Oberlohr said it costs $5,280 a year to attend the school. "And again, we do offer scholarship programs and opportunities. We don't want anyone not to apply or not to come due to finances," she said. She said the school receives lots of support with scholarships.

The school began with several core missions. "We love practicing our Christian faith. We like living the faith that is really at the core of who we are. That's a wonderful thing to be able to pray throughout the day," Grammer said.

"Another strong principle we adhere to is understanding that the parent is the primary influence" on their child, Grammer said. "They're the No. 1 educator" in the life of a child, she added.

"We have a great sense of supporting parents in that primary role, and we also love their involvement at school, so one thing that we believe at our core is that family involvement and a parent's role in particular is really a strong essential element in the life of a child." Grammer said.

The school also tries to meet the child "where they are" in terms of learning, she said.

Tim Mirly, principal of St. Paul Lutheran School, said the economy affects enrollment, as it does with other private institutions. Its enrollment is at 364, and that number has stayed relatively consistent, within 20 students from year to year. St. Paul charges $4,200 a year for the first child a family sends to the school. "It's scaled whether you bring a second or third child," Mirly said.

Mirly said St. Paul is not just for Lutheran children, but for any faith.

He said Lutheran congregations provide support for the school, and the school is connected with St. Paul Lutheran Church. Mirly said the school offers some financial assistance.

"We never want anyone not to receive a Christian education as a result of finances. We want anybody to be able to take advantage of that that wants to," he said.

Immaculate Conception School in Jackson serves preschool through eighth grade. For 2013-2014, it has 230 children enrolled. Its peak was 287 in 2008-2009, according to figures from principal Michele Campbell.

One theory Campbell has on why her school's enrollment has declined is Immaculate Conception sold its bus at one point, hampering its transport of students. "That didn't help the situation," she said.

And although enrollment was dipping, tuition continued to increase.

"The fewer students we have, the more the tuition has to increase to cover expenses," Campbell said.

The school is connected with Immaculate Conception Church. It was founded in 1880 and closed in 1913, but reopened in 1922. For parishioners, tuition is $2,900 a year for one child. For nonparishioners, it is $4,150 a year for one child.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639