Nearly 14,000 students are enrolled in the 46 Catholic schools and early childhood centers in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg. While Catholic school enrollment nationwide has declined by 13.2% over the past decade, our Diocese has grown by 16.9%. Most of our schools now have waitlists at one or more grade levels.

Our academic achievements are equally impressive. Students in our Catholic schools consistently score above the national average on the TerraNova, a nationally norm-referenced standardized assessment. Our average eighth grade students score better than 74% of their peers and their grade equivalent scores are about three years above grade level in English, language arts, and mathematics. According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Catholic school students outperform their peers across all categories. If Catholic schools were a state, they would rank first in the nation in both math and reading for grades four and eight. These outcomes hold true even among low-income students, who perform far better in Catholic schools than in their assigned public schools.

Most importantly, our schools are unapologetically Catholic. To borrow a culinary metaphor, our students are “marinated” in the faith — immersed in daily prayer, the sacraments, academic excellence, and the joyful witness of faculty and staff. Faith is not an add-on; it is the foundation of who we are, what we teach, and how we live. Our mission is to help each child become the person God has called them to be and that goal is pursued daily through school Masses, religious instruction, retreats, and acts of service. Each year, many students and even staff members choose to enter the Catholic Church, moved by the lived experience of faith and community in our schools.