Small class sizes and religious emphasis in curriculum attract a different kind of student to a different kind of school. This is the fourth of five parts examining alternatives to traditional education in St. Johns County. The fourth part looks at private religion-based schools. With an enrollment of 17,358 students for the 1997-98 school year, St. Johns County's public schools educate most of its students for free. However, parents of about 1,500 students pay both School Board taxes and tuition for private schools - many with religious affiliations.
Religious education is one reason many parents choose private schools.
Smaller classes and diversified curriculum are some others, said Trudi Hellstrom, director of development for St. Joseph Academy, a private Catholic high school. This year's enrollment of 297 is the largest in the history of the school, which opened in 1874, Hellstrom said. The school expects to have a waiting list for the 1998-99 year, she said. The school's reputation for academic excellence and its diverse curriculum are the main reasons for growing enrollment, she said. We're small enough that we can meet the individual needs of our students and give them the attention they need.