St. Mary’s Elementary School will offer full-time preschool and seventh and eighth grade enrollment starting next school year.

While a handful of students are already part of a seventh grade class, school officials said they heard families express interest in allowing their elementary school children to continue their middle school education at St. Mary’s.

Those wishing to sign up can do so through Aug. 23. Enrollment will also be accepted at any time throughout the school year.

While student tuition is required for enrollment, the school offers needs-based scholarships to youth interested in enrolling. About 40 percent of the 60 students currently enrolled are on a full or partial scholarship, according to marketing director volunteer Jim Maurer.

Tuition costs $3,000 per year for one Catholic child. Prices vary for families with multiple children enrolled or for families not of the Catholic faith.

The private Catholic school is accredited by the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools and is the only Catholic school options south of St. Joseph and north of the border, according to Maurer. The school is supported by donations and St. Mary’s Church subsidies.

The school recently hired Rhonda Szymanski to teach full-time preschool. Szymanski taught pre-school at St. Mary’s for 20 years, from 1995 to 2015. When the opportunity to teach preschool again occurred through the enrollment expansion, Szymanski said she jumped at the chance.

“I wanted to teach them to love to come to school,” Szymanski said. “This school is so unique. We know grandparents and aunts and uncles.”

The full-time preschool can accept up to 20 students total in the class.

Leslie Johnson will teach sixth- through eighth-grade. Johnson has taught fourth through seventh-grade for the past 10 years.

The middle school, which includes sixth- through seventh-grade has up to 20 spots available for students.

Marketing director Jim Maurer touted the school’s ability to offer more individualized classes, with a staff that he said cares for one another like family.

“Just about every person is a resource for the children’s enrichment,” Maurer said.

Proof of the environment is evident in test scores, he said.

Students take the Northwest Education Assessment three times each year. This spring, students scored in the 90th percentile for reading, math and language and scored in the 85th percentile for science.

For Johnson, the school’s ability to offer middle school classes presents a chance to continue to teach the students she has gotten to know throughout the years.

“They are my babies,” Johnson said. “I have had them fourth grade through seventh grade, so they know what to expect of me and I know what to expect of them, so we are like one big happy family.”

Teaching three classes at a time, Johnson said she utilizes technology, including I-ready.

“It is a lot of individualized learning,” Johnson said.

The school has hired Lisa Bentley to teach fourth- and fifth-grade students. Bentley has taught the pre-school classes at St. Mary’s part-time.

This is not the first time that the school has offered seventh- and eighth-grade enrollment. About 40 years ago, the school offered kindergarten through eighth- grade enrollment. At that time the school had about 200 students enrolled.

Maurer encouraged those looking for a supporting environment for their children to consider signing up.

“It may sound corny, but there is a lot of love here,” Maurer said.

The school is accepting enrollment in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Those interested in enrolling should contact Sharon Gregorski, the principal at principalstmarysschoolniles@yahoo.com or call the school at (269) 683-9191.