Education is at the heart of who we are at St. Thomas More School. Across the country, test scores are slipping, expectations are dropping, and many students struggle to read and reason with confidence. Here, we choose a different way. We raise the bar, we stay close to families, and we keep Christ at the center.
From the first days of school, we form students to think and speak with courage. By kindergarten, your child will already be public speaking in front of hundreds of people. That kind of confidence does not happen by accident. It comes from clear expectations, steady practice, and a community that believes in your child.
Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic letter Drawing New Maps of Hope, written for the 60th anniversary of Gravissimum educationis, says that education is not a side task. It is the “fabric of evangelization,” where Partners in the Gospel becomes a relationship, a classroom culture, a way of seeing the world. That is the vision that guides us at STMS.
What Catholic education looks like at STMS
Pope Leo speaks of Catholic schools as part of an “educational constellation” – many small lights that, together, help people find their way. We see ourselves as one of those lights here in Lynnwood.
We also know who we are. As Faustin Weber says, Catholic schools like ours are “small and scrappy.” We do not sit on large budgets or big systems, and we do not claim to be perfect, but we move with purpose. In a fast-changing culture, we stand for clarity, depth, and hope. We want your children to shine as lights, to love the truth, and to serve others with confidence.
What it really costs to educate a child
Our public neighbors invest heavily in education:
- Seattle Public Schools: $ 26,292 per student
- Edmonds SD: $ 20,000–21,000
- Mukilteo SD: $ 19,500
- Everett SD: $ 19,338
- Northshore SD: $18,748
At St. Thomas More School:
- Parish Engagement Tuition: $9,130 per child
- Standard Tuition: $ 10,890 per child
- Full actual cost to educate one student: $14,260
So public systems around us often spend about double what parish-engaged families pay at STMS, and still more than our true per-pupil cost. We do this through shared stewardship: family tuition, parish support, and the generosity of donors who believe in Catholic education.
Our promise to you and your child
Pope Leo calls education “one of the highest expressions of Christian charity.” We take that seriously. Our work with your child rests on four promises, each rooted in Scripture.
1. We promise to know your child
We take time to know your child’s strengths, struggles, culture, and story. No one is a number here.
“I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
2. We promise to love your child
We teach and correct with love. We set high standards because we care, not because we are harsh.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)
3. We promise to prepare your child for life
We prepare students not only for high school, but for vocation, service, and leadership. Reading, writing, math, public speaking, and faith all matter.
“Train up a child in the way he should go.” (Proverbs 22:6)
4. We promise to walk with your family toward heaven
Our goal is to form saints, scholars, and student-athletes who live for God and for others.
“Shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:15)
This is what Gravissimum educationis and Drawing New Maps of Hope ask of Catholic schools: put the person at the center, unite faith and reason, and form communities where truth is sought together.
Why this matters now
We live in what Pope Leo calls a “complex, fragmented, digitized” educational environment. Screens compete for attention. Many schools are tempted to lower expectations. Instead, we:
- Protect focused learning time
- Teach students to read deeply and think clearly
- Help them ask real questions about faith, purpose, and justice
- Build habits of service and responsibility
Education here is more than information. It is formation: mind, heart, body, and soul.
We are small and scrappy, but we are steady. Guided by Partners in the Gospel and the Church’s teaching on education, we work each day to draw new maps of hope for your children. Together with you, we want them to know they are loved, to grow as saints and scholars, and to step into the world as confident, faith-filled leaders.
In Christ,
Principal, St. Thomas More School
