St. Mary Elementary School

Faculty and administration are friendly and interested in education. Parents and families are active and support the school and parish.
—Submitted by a parent

I am the mother of two graduates of this fine school.
—Submitted by a parent

I was unsure about spending the extra money on private school, but I have found that it is well worth it. All the parents are very involved, the education has been great for my gifted child, and I LOVE that the faith he learns about at home is being reinforced at school. GREAT SCHOOL!
—Submitted by a parent

First-rate, both academically and spiritually. Academically, St. Mary's consistently excels on the annual Iowa Basic SKills test. This is due to the quality of instruction received at the school as well as the dedication of the teachers to go the extra step in ensuring student success. Spiritually, the school is certainly 'Christ-centered' and all instruction revolves around this philosophy. We had two sons graduate from St. Mary's. The older son went on to graduate high school with honors and received numerous scholarships for college. The younger one received a scholarship at a private high school and is currently attending there.
—Submitted by a parent

St. Mary's is a great school. All three of my children attend St. Mary's. The teachers and administration are very much involved in the students success, academically and socially.
—Submitted by a parent

Our child transferred to this school as a second grader in sept 04. She previously attended another area catholic school. I can't tell you how easy the transistion was. I had mixed feelings about moving her 2 1/2 weeks into the school year but the teacher and staff went out of their way to make our entire family feel welcome here. My only regret is that she did not start here as a preschooler. The principal is a dynamic, forward thinking leader who has the vision to see things through. I also think he is a great motivator and works well with staff and parents. Please make an appointment to visit this school if you are looking for a faith based education in the bellevue area. Our daughter completed first reconcilliation and 1st communion this year and was well prepared. There is a very caring staff at this school.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter recently graduated from St. Mary's. Educational speaking it is an excellent school. Math is the weakness of the upper grades but gets better each year. Socially it leaves some to be desired. It can be difficult for new transfers to fit it to such a small group of kids already bonded. Especially for the girls. I would suggest getting to know some before making the descision to enroll. I was disapointed in the lack of christian values being enforced, that I would expect from a Catholic school. I was equally disapointed in the principal's lack of motivation to correct or ackowledge social issues affecting my child. There is now a new principal. The school does have a resource teacher but is not the best choice for children with disabilities even minor. Bellevue public is excellent. I would still recommend this school even with the issues we had.
—Submitted by a parent