On 400 acres of gorgeous, wooded countryside, St.
Stephen’s Episcopal School sits just east of the Colorado River off the Capital
of Texas highway. A private, coeducational preparatory school for both day and
boarding students grades 6-12, the mission, according to school officials, is
to educate young people “in mind, body, and spirit,” but the school’s
reputation for academic excellence is better known.
The object is to prepare for college, and as anyone out
there will tell you, “everyone” goes on to complete that goal. Many of the
students – approximately 22% of last year’s class – earned National Merit
recognition, and SAT scores tend to be high. Part of the reason, says Dean of
Students Jon Lenicheck, is that most classes use college texts. The curriculum
is challenging for most, harsh or impossible for some; but the faculty is
attentive and tutoring is available. For all its benefits, sending your child
to St. Stephen’s could send you to the poorhouse – the tuition is as much or
more than many private colleges. Is it worth it? If getting your child into the
college of her/his choice is worth it, then yes.
Despite its connections to the Episcopal Diocese, St.
Stephen’s has achieved a healthy separation of church and school, much to its
benefit academically. The Diocese does not interfere with curriculum or text
choice, and is satisfied with the requirement that seniors take one year of
theology (more of a philosophy class covering world religions) and the offering
of morning chapel services every day.
Since most faculty live on campus with their families,
ties between boarding students and faculty are close and parental, lending the
school a more familiar atmosphere than day schools. Yet even with that support,
most problem solving is absent adult guidance; students rely mainly on “peer
counseling,” as it were, a natural consequence at boarding schools.
Twenty years ago, when this reporter began as an
eighth-grade student at St. Stephen’s, I was wildly happy with my new freedom
from my parents. I did pretty well in the end, and played a lot of sports, but
I needed a lot more life guidance than faculty, advisors, or hall proctors
could give. St. Stephen’s had a reputation as a party school, and that’s
putting it mildly. (No, I won’t go into my personal experiences here. Let’s
just say they’ve cleaned up their act since then.) The school began admitting
more day students who are easier to manage, incorporated drug and sex education
into the curriculum, and maintains two counselors on staff. “Whenever you talk
about adolescents, you’re talking about drugs. Kids are curious. But I think
we’ve beaten back that beast,” says Lenicheck.
TUITION RATES for 1995-96: Middle School, $9,000 for
sixth & seventh grades, $9,500 for eighth; Upper School, $10,850 for day
students; $17,450 for boarding students. Additional $1,000 facilities-use fee
for new students. Middle School students are not currently allowed to board,
although the school plans to begin accepting a few boarders for the eighth
grade in the fall. Financial aid available through the school’s scholarship
fund, and the MLK Scholarship Fund.
CLASS SIZE: averages 16 students; teacher/student ratio
is 8:1. Faculty consists of 50 full-time and two part-time teachers, of whom 32
hold advanced degrees.
LIBRARY: The library holds 17,000 volumes and students
have computer links with the library at the University of Texas.
ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS: Students are admitted based on
scholastic achievement, teacher recommendations, and results from the
Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE). The grading system is
purposefully unique to avoid comparisons with other prep schools: H (high), V
(very good), G (good), P (passing), U (unsatisfactory), X (failing).
ETHNIC BREAKDOWN: 20% of the total student body are
“students of color” – African American, Hispanics, Asian, and Middle
Eastern.
DRESS: no formal uniform.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: is “welcome.”
– Louisa C. Brinsmade
This article appears in May 26 • 1995 and May 26 • 1995 (Cover).