St. Mary's Catholic School

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St. Mary's Catholic School Fort Walton Beach Logo
Background for Okaloosa Academy

2022 information

FLORIDA DoE School Rating*

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ºPercent of students who are considered economically disadvantaged. 

An Overview of St. Mary's School

St. Mary’s Catholic School in Fort Walton Beach is a private, Catholic, parochial school for children from grades K-8 just to the west of downtown Fort Walton Beach. 

 

The school exceeds expectations in academics, receiving a Blue Ribbon award in 2005 from the US Department of Education for scoring in the top 10% of schools on standardized testing. 

 

The school says that it is “Dedicated to Catholic values, committed to academic excellence, spiritual growth, individual responsibilty and service to others.”

 

The Florida Catholic Conference has accredited the school and only accepts teachers who have received accreditation from both the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Catholic Conference.

History

St. Mary’s Catholic School was founded in 1946, at the end of the Second World War. The project, started by several religious sisters, nearly came to an early end as enrollment began to dwindle. 

With the beginning of the Korean War, enrollment at the school increased due to the stationing of more Catholic families at local military installations. United States President Harry Truman visited the campus in 1949 to great acclaim in the area. 

The campus at the school’s current location on Robinwood Drive opened for schooling in 1960. 

In the Fall of 2005, the school’s enrollment jumped by 25% in a single month as the institution took in refugees from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Despite the disruption, the school was awarded a Blue Ribbon from the US Department of Education in September of that year.

St. Mary's Catholic School Principal Peter Rodgers
Principal Mr. Peter Rodgers

800 E. John Sims Parkway

Niceville, Fl 32578

School Goals

The School aims to do three things in the future:

  1. Increase enrollment at the school.
  2. Use technology to increase student achievement.
  3. Develop school-wide stewardship program to develop faith building and importance of Catholic social teachings. 

Curriculum

St. Mary’s School prides itself on a robust academic curriculum which is split into four groups. The education works to broaden the student’s mind, impress critical thinking skills and build a foundation of hope and faith for their spiritual lives.

Kindergarten

Students in Kindergarten at St. Mary’s learn about a variety of subjects which empower them to succeed in the future. These subjects include:

  • Religion
  • Language Arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Handwriting
  • Spanish
  • Music
  • Computers
  • Physical Education
  • Art
  • Library Skills

Tuition

St. Mary’s School’s tuition starts at $7,800 per year per child and drops from there. The school offers discounts for multiple children, as well as grants to members of local Catholic parishes. 

Additionally, the school charges several fees to families, including a Building for the Future fee of $600 per family and registration fees. 

Several thousand dollars per year is a lot of money for families, which is why there are a bevy of scholarship programs available to help reduce the cost-of-attendance at St. Mary’s School. 

Scholarships Available to Students

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