Totino-Grace High School

TG does support religion and education. But paying tuition is a waste of money for this school. Most of our school day, which is shorter than most schools, are filled with prayer. I am not a very religious person and having so much of my day taken up by prayer, not to include the days we have liturgy, and having that precious time taken away from education is outrageous. To be fair to the school though the teachers are, for the most part, amazing and the food is good. With paying tuition we don't have to pay to join clubs or pay to watch home games. Still my overall rating of this school is low because I feel like a kid who is surrounded by rich kids. The school takes sports over education in my opinion. I would prefer for the tuition my family is paying to go towards college saving instead of a mediocre education.
—Submitted by a student

Totino Grace was worth every dollar we invested in the school. Our son started at Totino Grace needing the learning lab resources. By the time he graduated, our son was on the honor roll and had earned credit for taking an advanced placement course. He was accepted to his "reach" college, and, by his own admission, was better prepared for college level coursework than many of his college classmates. His devotion to his faith and service to others, traits that are nutured at Totino Grace, continues today.
—Submitted by a parent

We are not a wealthy family & thought we would be surrounded by such at T-G but we were pleasantly surprised. T-G is not, in my opinion, a school for wealthy families. It is, however, a school where many families sacrifice so that their children can experience the T-G community. Faith, Service, Community and Learning, the four pillars of the school, are balanced every day. As a non-wealthy T-G parent I get so tired of others assuming we must be rich if we send our kids there. I would venture that the economic strata here is not much different than the surrounding high schools. We have some wealthy as does Fridley, and Spring Lake Park and Roseville. The vast majority of our parents truly go without new cars, or vacations, or expensive clothes because they choose to invest in their kids. And T-G is a great investment. The shining star at T-G is the community. This community loves and supports each other while holding their children accountable for their actions. I am a cancer survivor who can't say enough for the way the entire staff supported my family whether in prayers or other ways. I can't "afford" to send my kids there but we make it work & I would do it all over again.
—Submitted by a parent

To quote another reviewer, " the environment is heavily influenced by a wealthy, white upper-middle class majority." Maybe I'm mistaken but, isn't most of society that way? I don't think it's the schools fault that well to-do families choose to send their children here. Or that the school is mostly white; the majority of the northern Twin Cities suburbs are white. The school simply reflects the area in which is sits. And if wealthy families pay good money to send their kids here, then I feel it speaks to the school's high quality. We all know rich people don't tolerate poor return on investments. The school does everything it can to level the playing field; e.g. uniforms so everyone's clothes look the same, no prom court so there is no popularity contest ever Spring, required community service to show students how the other half lives etc. Grace is out-standing. Second to none is its formation of well-rounded, educated, physically talented, wordly, forward thinking, successful, Chrisitan adults. Of my graduate friends alone there are lawyers, doctors, journalists, social workers, teachers, professional artists, editors and investment bankers.
—Submitted by a student

I am a relatively recent graduate from the school, and I will be the first to admit the that school offers a rigorous, first-class education to those who can afford it. However, the school boasts an 'academically, economically and culturally diverse' environment, and it is only true insofar as the school consistently garners a few outliers within their classes every year. Although the teachers were fantastic, the environment is heavily influenced by a wealthy, white upper-middle class majority. The school best suits the needs of the children of an affluent hegemony. If one belongs to any sort of 'non-normative' background, the social climate is remarkably stifling. Totino-Grace, as a school, serves its pragmatic function beautifully. However, it remains one of the most culturally stagnant places I have ever been.

Amazing school! I was far better prepared for college and the work force than many of my friends who also went to private schools. I am not Catholic but always felt very welcome and accepted. The school is not very diverse, but I stayed active in my own inner-city neighborhood and it kept me grounded. The level of respect and discipline is second to none, I don't remember ever seeing a fight on school grounds. To top it all off the extracurriculars are fantastic!
—Submitted by a student

My daughter started her High School years in Coon Rapids. At the end of her 9th grade year she begged me to leave that school. BEST decision she could have EVER made. It was expensive but WELL worth it. I later found out that Totino Grace graduates - 98% go on to college. Coon Rapids has the highest rate of graduates and the LOWEST rate that continue to college. This school speaks for itself.
—Submitted by a parent

Fabulous school!! I feel blessed to have children who look forward to attending school each day. Faculty and staff treat students and parents with an extreme amount of respect.
—Submitted by a parent

I love this im a student at TG and i made so many frinds since freashman year. I walked in their not knowing anybody. Everybody is like a family there.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a black male who went to totino grace and found that it is not bad school and the athletics are huge at the school, but the atmosphere is not diverse it is made up of mostly upper class white people and I felt very 'ugly duckling' going to games.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is awesome. My daughter loves it and I spend the money to send her here because I care about her future. Every day is a challenge for her and I know she will have more choices in life having attended this school. She would not let me send her anywhere else.
—Submitted by a parent

I love it here! I always feel welcomed by everybody. The teachers are fun to learn from, the student atmosphere is totally great. You can be a freshman and talk to seniors with no worry. We have alot of fun learning here and i would never ever want to leave.
—Submitted by a student

I have two children attending TG and every day when I ask them 'How was your day today?' they say 'GREAT!'. That is what a parent wants to hear. They love thier teachers and the overall culture of the school. They feel they are treated fairly and surrounded by people who truly want them to succeed. The school is expensive, and it is a sacrifice for out our family, but it is the best investmentwe have ever made in our children's future.
—Submitted by a parent

I'm not a parent of a Totino Grace student, but I am a graduate. I have since pursued teaching myself, both in secondary education and now in a university setting. While I thought that the overall education was excellent, the environment was in many ways, negative. At the time the school was largely upper-class white. As a parent myself, I now realize that sometimes being sheltered is positive. However, in many ways it is not. In the case of my graduating class, it bred racism and classism. If you choose to send your child to TG, make sure that they are involved in other activities that expose them to more diversity.
—Submitted by a former student

Our two children attended Totino Grace High School and I can honestly say it was the highest calibre school we have ever been involved with. The teachers and administration have the same goal: to make sure every child succeeds. Teachers came in early to help students who did not feel comfortable asking questions in front of their classmates or who realized they needed help with a homework assignment from the night before. Succeeding in this school is 'cool'. If you aren't an exceptional student, there are programs to help ease the pressures of high school. Every aspect of the school, from the teachers to the campus buildings to the computers and sports equipment are top-notch. We are not rich, by any means, but we found that the parents who are fortunate enough to have high incomes are very generous to Totino Grace. School activities are extremely organized and parents are constantly being updated about any school news. Our family is so impressed with the maturity level of the students and the incredible school spirit they hold. Our son was interested in music and the Totino Grace music department is one of the best in the state. My daughter was interested in service to the community and beyond. She was able to take trips all over the United States to work for Habitat for Humanity and inner city schools and it changed her life forever. My children's experience at Totino Grace was worth every penny we spent and I would whole-heartedly encourage any parent to send their child there.
—Submitted by a parent