Private schools offer another option for parents, students

By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN

Hays Daily News

There have been Catholic schools in Ellis County for nearly 100 years, giving parents the option between private and public school education for their children.

“I feel that a community our size that has choice in education is a wonderful privilege and benefit,” said Jean Ross, who worked in the Hays public school system for 22 years before taking over as director of planning at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School in 1998 and director of planning two years later.

“The one constant over all these years,” Ross said, “is the devotion of parents wanting the Catholic faith taught to their young people.”

TMP-Marian is a four-year high school with an enrollment of about 245. There also is a Catholic elementary school, Holy Elementary School, in Hays, which began as St. Joseph Grade School more than 100 years ago.

The name of the elementary school was changed to Holy Family in 1998 when it moved from its three-story stone structure on 13th Street to the site of the former Jefferson Elementary, which is part of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church.

Holy Family, which had gone just through fifth grade for several years, added sixth grade when it moved to the Jefferson building.

Holy Family's principal is Melanie Moeder, who came to Hays in 2003 after three years as principal at St. Joseph Elementary School in Oakley. And she said it's been a good move for her and her family.

“In just the two years I've been here, working with the other principals in the Hays (public school) district, it just amazes me the school system overall in Hays and how excellent they are,” she said. “This is highly unusual to have school systems both Catholic and public that are both so exemplary.”

The one difference, though, Moeder pointed out is that “we can offer the religion.”

“We get to bring that extra piece into it,” she said. “Like the bishop said, Catholic schools can educate the entire child.”

Nicole Cook, principal at St. Mary Elementary School in Ellis, agreed.

“When you have a faith-based school, children have the freedom to express their religion,” said Cook, in her first year at St. Mary, whose history goes all the way back to 1901. “Plus wtih our small class size, we're able to provide more one-on-one opportunities.”

The elementary school was started in 1901 in a combination church-school building, and the present school building was finished in 1948. Grades one through eight were taught until 1970, when the junior high grades transferred to the public school system.

St. Mary now has 68 students in grades K-6.

“We feel like a hidden treasure in Ellis County,” Cook said. “We're really like a family over here.”

For the first time this year, Holy Family offered a full-day kindergarten program to go along with its half-day classes.

“We felt we could hit both needs of parents that way,” she said.

In fact, the school is growing and will add a third kindergarten group next year.

Moeder said she thinks part of that growth can be attributed to “an excellent preschool program” at the school, which includes three groups of 4-year-olds and another group of 3-year-olds.

Moeder also said that Holy Family is constantly looking for ways to improve its curriculum. This year, it implemented the Saxon math program, which features a constant reviewing of skills already learned, all across the curriculum. Next year, Moeder plans to add an accellerated vocabulary program in conjunction with the school's accellerated reader program.

They are going through change across town at TMP-Marian, where an extensive auditorium renovation project is under way. Phase I in the project includes replacing the old wooden charis with blue padded seats, repair and painting of the walls and ceiling, floor preparation, replacing the carpet and electrical work and aisle lighting.

This year, a new sound system was installed in Al Billinger Fieldhouse, and the study hall on the first floor got air conditioning.

Rick Staples, director of operations at TMP-Marian, said they are working on improving the school's vehicle fleet next year as well as working on an ADA grant. Also, he added, the school is in the process of updating its Internet Web site to better attract prospective students.

St. Mary is funded by the St. Mary parish and tuition paid by students.

Parents of TMP-Marian and Holy Family students tythe to their individual parishes, which in turn help support the schools along with tuition from non-Catholic students and fund-raisers throughout the year. TMP-Marian also receives tuition from boarder students from other towns, states and countries who attend the school.

TMP-Marian began as Hays Catholic College for men in 1908 and changed to St. Joseph College from the 1920s through 1931, when it moved from its building on 13th Street, currently the St. Joseph parish center, to its present location in west Hays.

Its name was changed to St. Joseph College and Military Academy in 1932, then St. Joseph Military Academy in 1953. It became an all-boys' Catholic high school in 1970 and was renamed Thomas More Prep.

Girls' Catholic High School opened in 1918 on 14th Street and moved to the St. Joseph building on 13th Street when the boys' school moved to the TMP campus. Girls' Catholic continued on 13th Street until 1961, then moved to a new building on Hall Street just south of TMP in 1961. The girls' school at that time was renamed Marian High, which it remained until 1981, when TMP and Marian combined into a co-ed school. St. Joseph Elementary School then moved into the 13th Street building until moving to the former Jefferson site seven years ago.

Reporter Diane Gasper-O'Brien can be reached at (785) 628-1081, ext. 126, or by e-mail at

dobrien@dailynews.net.