About Our Alliance of Catholic Schools
Catholic schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids are an alliance of 31 vibrant learning communities serving more than 6,000 elementary and high school students throughout West Michigan. Our schools inspire young people to grow in Catholic faith and grace, achieve more in school and in life, develop creativity and character, and feel welcomed and cherished for their unique gifts. We partner with parents to awaken the whole child to a world of light and life—that grows better and brighter when children reach their potential.
Consider a Catholic Education for Your Child
Dear Friends in Christ,
Children have a mind, a body and a soul. All need care! Catholic schools in the Diocese of Grand Rapids provide such care, educating the whole child for a life of encounter with Jesus Christ. The Catholic faith is more than an hour spent each week in church. Our faith provides the foundation for everything we do.
Christ illuminates learning and life at each of our 26 elementary and five high schools. From preschool through graduation, students in our Catholic schools grow in faith and grace, achieve more in school and life, develop creativity and character, and feel welcomed and cherished.
We invite you to join us! Prayerfully consider a Catholic school near you. Scholarships are offered at the diocesan and parish levels to help make a Catholic school education possible for every family who desires it. Parents are the primary educators of their children in the ways of faith. We look forward to partnering with you in the Catholic formation of your children.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
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| Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak Bishop of Grand Rapids |
David Faber Superintendent |
Estimados Amigos en Cristo,
Los niños tienen mente, cuerpo y alma. ¡Todos ellos necesitan cuidado! Las escuelas católicas en la Diócesis de Grand Rapids proveen este cuidado, educando al niño en toda su integridad para una vida de encuentro con Jesucristo. La fe católica es algo más que una hora gastada en la Iglesia cada semana. Nuestra fe provee los cimientos para todo lo que hacemos.
Jesucristo ilumina el aprendizaje y la vida en cada una de nuestras 26 escuelas primarias y 5 secundarias. Desde el pre-escolar hasta la graduación, los estudiantes de nuestras escuelas católicas crecen en fe y gracia, alcanzan más éxito en la escuela y en la vida; desarrollan creatividad y carácter, se sienten bienvenidos y apreciados.
¡Le invitamos a unirse a la causa! Consideren la posibilidad de matricular a sus hijos en una de las escuelas católicas más cercana. Se ofrecen becas a nivel diocesano y parroquial para ayudar a las familias que desean adquirir la educación en una escuela católica. Los padres son los primeros educadores de sus hijos en la fe. Esperamos poder colaborar con usted en la formación católica de sus hijos.
Sinceramente suyo en Cristo,
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| Reverendísimo David J. Walkowiak Obispo de Grand Rapids |
David Faber Superintendente |
Help Share the Benefits of Catholic Education
Research shows Catholic school students are more likely to attend Mass, practice their faith, and be civically involved and more generous during their lifetime. Invite your friends and family to share in this amazing opportunity.
Even better, let us invite them!
Just fill out a referral form at this link, or email our Admissions Advocate, Gabriela, with the name and contact information of a family you’d like to refer. We will do the rest and can keep your name confidential if you'd prefer.
Join us in our mission of preparing students to seek and fulfill God’s plan for learning and life.
Curriculum
The curriculum in the Diocese of Grand Rapids upholds the values, morals and teachings of the Catholic Church and defines the academic outcomes expected of our students.
Assessments
Standardized assessments are one tool used in our Catholic schools to monitor academic progress. These are considered to be one data point among many that inform us about a student’s progress.
Diocese of Grand Rapids students consistently outperform the national average in all subject areas at all grade levels in their fall and spring Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments. The advantage over the national average grows throughout elementary school and especially by the end of middle school, showing that the longer a student attends a Catholic school, the greater the likelihood for academic success and performance above the norm.
The National Catholic Educational Association Information for Growth: Assessment of Children/Youth Religious Education (NCEA IFG: ACRE edition) is a reliable, tested tool for assessing Catholic religious education programs. Released in Fall 2013, NCEA IFG: ACRE edition intends to help Catholic educators and catechetical leaders evaluate local Catholic parish and school programs by gathering evidence of what particular groups of students know about Catholicism and how their lives reflect development as Christian disciples. In the Diocese of Grand Rapids our students are assessed in 5th grade, 8th grade, and 11th grade. Below are results from testing in 2021.
Like the Diocese of Grand Rapids Theology Curriculum Standads, the ACRE content questions cognitive faith knowledge according to the four pillars of the Catechism.
- Pillar I: The Profession of Faith
- Pillar II: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery (Liturgy and Sacraments)
- Pillar III: Life in Christ
- Pillar IV: Christian Prayer
Apply for Transportation
To help our busy families, the Grand Rapids Area Catholic Schools Transportation Department provides busing in Kent and Ottawa counties. See the image below for a general overview of bus stops near you. To confirm that a stop in your area serves your school, talk with your school or call Transportation Supervisor Maureen Rutka at (616) 246-6470.
To apply for transportation for the 2024-25 school year, click here. (o aquí en español).
If your family attends a Catholic school in a different county, please talk with your school about transportation offerings.
Scholarships
The Diocese of Grand Rapids and each of its 31 schools share the belief that a Catholic education should be available, accessible and affordable to any family that wants to provide their child with a quality education in a strong Catholic environment.
Our schools deliver an exceptional education at remarkably low and affordable rates; however, the decision to enroll your child in a Catholic school inherently will involve sacrifices on the part of every family. Ultimately, families who commit to Catholic education for their child do so because it is their priority to provide a learning community that supports the faith and values taught at home.
Many families need and receive scholarships for Catholic school tuition. A variety of scholarship opportunities exist for families choosing Catholic school education for their child. All registered parishioner families, whether currently enrolled or enrolling for the first time, are eligible for the Bishop's Scholarship Fund, school/parish scholarships, and parish support.
Bishop's Scholarship Fund
Bishop Walkowiak has greatly increased the amount of available scholarships for diocesan Catholic schools. All families, whether enrolling for the first time or already enrolled, can apply for Bishop's Scholarships.
Blackbaud Financial is the third-party agency used by diocesan schools to evaluate need. Enrolling families need to fill out a Blackbaud Financial application. Families fill out just one application, regardless of the number of K-12 students in their family. The application assures that the family is considered for both diocesan and individual school scholarships. Families can apply at any time.
Contact your Catholic elementary school and/or Catholic high school for details about the scholarships they may have available to you. In addition, a parish may support a student with a parishioner rate of tuition or parish support.
- 2025-26 parish support form for all schools except Catholic Central and West Catholic | Now available in Spanish
- 2025-26 Catholic Central and West Catholic high schools parish support form | Now available in Spanish
- 2024-25 parish support form for all schools except Catholic Central and West Catholic
- 2024-25 Catholic Central and West Catholic high schools parish support form
Vocations Scholarship
"Just as Jesus gave himself for you, me and the whole world, I am excited to heed my father’s words by laying down my life in service to the people of the Diocese of Grand Rapids." - Reverend Jacob Zemaitis
High school is a critical time for any person to consider his or her vocation. To nurture vocations to the priesthood and religious life, the Diocese of Grand Rapids offers a vocation scholarship to those who are discerning. It is open to sophomore, junior, and senior students who attend one of our five Catholic high schools. For more details, click here. To apply, click here.