Around this time each year, the staff at St. Bernard Prep School throws open the doors for a day-long open house, giving prospective students and their parents a firsthand look at the school’s academic programs, instructors, facilities, and more. And each year, they know they have a built-in recruitment tool that most other private schools simply can’t offer: the campus itself. 

“Once people come onto our campus, that seals the deal,” says Joyce Nix, the school’s marketing director. “We’re on 800 acres here, with miles and miles of running trails, soccer fields, tennis courts, a terrific gym, a beautiful library, beautiful monastery buildings, and lots of wooded areas. When people see it, they’re hooked.”

On Friday, March 12, curious future students and parents will get the chance to do just that, when the school holds its spring 2021 open house. From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., the school’s picturesque library building will serve as the collection point for inbound guests, from which current students and staff will be on standby to greet visitors and embark on impromptu campus tours.  

There’s no need to call ahead, memorize an itinerary, or reserve a tour time, according to admissions director Fr. Linus Klucsarits, O.S.B. — just show up at the library, and St. Bernard’s students and staff will do the rest. 

Recruiting new students is always a priority at the 130-pupil, grades 7-12 prep school — as is making sure that prospective students are a good fit for St. Bernard’s highly structured, academically rigorous program. But one thing the school emphasizes to parents is that cost shouldn’t be a deciding factor in determining who can attend. 

“We’re always trying to reach middle class families who don’t think they can afford it,” says Klucsarits. “We do have need-based financial aid for those who qualify. There’s a lot of value in our program for the student who’s preparing to do well at the college level. 

“Students really get a college experience while they’re still in high school here: They have a lot more responsibility, they’re exposed to a lot of different instructors, they spend their days on a campus that, in fact, used to be an actual college campus. I think they really get a significant measure of that college experience, and then when they go to college, what they report back is us is how well prepared they are — as well as how unprepared a lot of their new peers are.”

Unlike a lot of private schools (and even colleges, for that matter), most of what people see at St. Bernard isn’t window dressing. The buildings, the trails, the green spaces, the sports facilities — they’re meant to be used and experienced. 

“They have access to it all,” says Nix. “They run those trails every afternoon. Our library is a magnificent facility, but our kids use it every day.” “There’s an ambiance here that can be very good for learning; for structured study; for socialization,” agrees Klucsarits.

Even amid the extraordinary circumstances posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Bernard’s graduating class received $2.9 million in scholarship offers last year. The school resolved early to adopt the technology and strategic flexibility that could best assure continuity of instruction amid uncertain circumstances. It’s an approach that’s paid off this year, with virtual classrooms that keep kids in attendance during the hours when school’s actually in session — whether they’re at home or on campus. 

“Unless we’re shut down by a mandate, our staff is going to be here, and our students are going to be learning,” says Nix. “Our kids haven’t missed a beat this year, which is a big credit to them, as well as to our teachers and our administration.”  

Friday’s open house isn’t the only chance prospective students and their families have to see St. Bernard up close. “We’re happy to arrange for individual campus tours,” Klucsarits says. “We even offer shadowing opportunities; structured days that allow prospective students to experience life at school for a day here,” he says.

To learn more about the St. Bernard Prep School program, faculty, mission, and campus, visit the school’s website at stbernardprep.com, or contact the admissions office at 256-255-5890 to arrange a tour.

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.