St. Maria Goretti

In situations where there are more applicants than vacancies in the classroom, the following priorities will determine admission:

First priority is given to those students already enrolled at Saint Maria Goretti Catholic School who are continuing to the next grade level.

>>If there are vacancies, then priority will be given to those children whose families have been registered in the parish for twelve months prior to school registration and who have children already registered and attending school. In these cases, admission is given to the sibling who has been on the list the longest. The family date of registration is no longer the priority. Once a sibling of an attending student has been on the priority list twelve months, they gain “sibling” status, and their position cannot be affected.
(For example:  A family has a child already attending Saint Maria Goretti Catholic School and has another child, who is considered a sibling, waiting on the list twelve months.  Regardless of their time in the parish, no other family’s sibling can move them downward on the priority list.  This will ensure that a family who gets their child in school more recently cannot surpass the first family’s sibling position.)

>>If there are vacancies, the next priority will be given to those children whose family is registered in the parish, who do not already have children registered and attending the school. Priority is based on time of parish registration and date of school registration.

Once a child has been on the waiting list for two consecutive years, he/she will hold his/her position and not be bumped down. The child will continue to advance to the top of the list as long as he/she is registered each year during the open school registration period.

It is outside our norm to accept students at the Middle School level (grades 6-8) unless the family is moving into our area.

When invitations are extended to students on the wait list the school fully anticipates the student will attend our school.  In the event that sibling declines an opening, the student will have to begin a new 12-month waiting period to regain his/her “sibling” status. If a non-sibling student declines an opening, the date the position was declined will be logged as a school registration date, placing the student at the bottom of the list.

It is important to note that movement on the list can occur at any time, due to students gaining sibling or “two years” (on the list) status and based on when the status is gained.  It does not only occur at registration time.  Thus, the order of a grade level list may, and likely will, have movement in the school year.

If an attending student/family withdraws from SMG without mutual agreement between the family and school, siblings that remain on the waiting list will lose sibling status and re-entry to SMG will not be guaranteed to the withdrawn student/family.

Families who neglect to register their children during the open registration period will surrender their placement on the waiting list and will be placed accordingly near the bottom of the list.  Families must first be registered with the parish, and also with the school.  Sibling status will be lost if students do not remain on the wait list each year.

Definition of a school family:  A family with current school children or graduates who have remained continuously active members of Saint Maria Goretti Parish.

The school office will maintain the records and waiting lists essential to administering this policy.  At the time of registration for the new school year, students already on a waiting list will be given first priority for the next grade if the family re-registers the student within thirty days of the start of registration.  The school office will attempt to contact such families to make sure the student still desires admission to Saint Maria Goretti Catholic School.

The school principal will have the final decision on any admission matters, whether or not covered by the policy.

If you have any questions concerning school enrollment, priority lists or waiting lists, please contact Alli Bell, Admissions Director at (317) 896-5582.