Sts. Leo-Seton Elementary School
Priority of Admission
Registration Policy

A. In House Registration
"We are Family" is the motto of Sts. Leo-Seton Catholic School. Because the Spirit of Family strongly influences the function and operation of the school, including registration policies and procedures, the following groups of applicants are registered before other applications are accepted.

1. Students currently attending Sts. Leo-Seton School Pre-K through 8th grades.
2. Siblings of those attending Sts. Leo-Seton and children of faculty and administration.

B. Need of Priorities
A significant number of applicants are accepted during in-house registration including Pre-K and K classes. Since we have limited space, it has become important that some form of priority be established in accepting new families into the Sts. Leo-Seton Family. The two major factors affecting the principles of our priority system are

1. Level of participation in one's church parish
2. Alumni of Sts. Leo-Seton Catholic School

C. Participating, Involved Catholics
Sts. Leo-Seton Catholic School exists to develop the faith life of its students. It is a Catholic school, not a private school. It is a parochial school associated with two specific parishes, not an independent school. Our school is an extension of the Church parishes to which its members belong, especially St. Leo the Great Parish and St. Elizabeth Seton Parish. Though the faith of the children is nurtured by belonging to the Sts. Leo-Seton School Family, the faith life of the school family should be lived out in their respective church parishes.

In light of the above, our registration policy gives preference to families that can substantiate their active participation in their church parish. Therefore, those considering submitting an application to enroll their child in our school should be conscious of the following:

1. Registration procedures will give preference to those families that have demonstrated consistent attendance and participation in their church parish.
2. The application will require the signature of the applicant's pastor verifying the family's level of participation and length of membership. The level of participation and length of membership will play a significant role in setting priority of acceptance of all applications.

D. Levels of Participation
Pastors of owner and non-owner parishes shall sign the parishoner's application indicating the length of their participation, as well as their level of participation. The levels of participation are:

Level 1: Registered, attend regularly, financially supportive, actively involved in the life of the parish.

Level 2: Registered, attend regularly

Level 3: Registered

Level 4: Live in the Church boundaries but not registered.

In the interest of fairness to all concerned, pastors will be urged to follow strictly the description of the levels listed.

E. Establishing a Record of Participation
When seeking a pastor's signature, the following should be kept in mind:

• The parents of the children seeking admission in our school should be formally registered in their church parish. Being baptized in a church, living near the church, or attending a church does not constitute being registered. Do not presume registration. Check to be sure.
• The use of church support envelopes and/or checks on a regular basis is recommended as a means of establishing a record of attendance and participation in a church parish. The amount contributed will have no bearing on the level of participation. Frequency of contributions is more significant.
• A pastor cannot be expected to personally know or recognize each parishioner seeking his signature; thus the importance of establishing a record of participation.

F. Alumni
The growth and excellence of Sts. Leo-Seton School is due in great part to the involvement of thousands of families throughout the school's 40+ year history. Who we are today is due in great part to the dedication and sacrifices of those who sent their child to our school in years past. "We are Family" includes our alumni. In light of the sacrifices made by parents of past students, being an alumnus of Sts. Leo-Seton Catholic School will play a significant role in admission priorities.

G. Priority of Admission (After In-House Registration)
After in-house registration is completed, new families' children are grouped according to the following categories, which will determine the order of acceptance. Assignment to a specific category shall be the responsibility of the principal:

LEVEL	PARENTS	PARISH	LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION	YEARS IN  PARISH	LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION ****
1	Alumni*	Owner**	High (1 or 2)	1+ years
2	Parishioner	Owner	High (1 or 2)	1+ years	Required
3	Alumni	Non-Owner	High (1 or 2)	1+ years
4	Alumni	Owner	High (1 or 2)	Less than 1 yr
5	Parishioner	Owner	High (1 or 2)	Less than 1 yr
6	Alumni	Non-Owner	High (1 or 2)	Less than 1 yr	Required
7	Parishioner	Non-Owner	High (1 or 2)	1+ years	Required
8	Alumni	Owner	Low (3 or 4)	Less than 1 yr
9	Parishioner	Owner	Low (3 or 4)	Less than 1 yr
10	Alumni	Non-Owner	Low (3 or 4)	Less than 1 yr
11	Parishioner	Non-Owner	Low (3 or 4)	Less than 1 yr
12	All other Catholics
13	Members of other Churches
14	All others

*Alumni=one parent attended SLS for 5 or more years
**Owner=owner parishes, St. Leo the Great and St. Elizabeth Seton
***Level- see "D. Levels of Participation" found above
****Pastor must write a letter explaining this person?s involvement in the parish, mailing it directly to the school.

If only some of the applicants within a category can be accepted, the principal in consultation with the Chancellor will rank applications in that category. Some of the factors to be considered in setting priorotiy within a category shall be:

• Transfer from another Catholic school
• Involvement in the Sts. Leo-Seton School in years past
• Type of involvement in current parish
• Length of membership in current parish
• Letter of recommendation from previous pastor regarding involvement

H. Exceptions
The above guidelines and categories cannot take into consideration every situation. Some situations may warrant special consideration in determining a level of priority. A few examples of special situations are:

• Families relocating to the Lafayette area whose children are already enrolled in a Catholic school and are participating members in their church parish
• A family whose older children attended S.L.S. but who does not currently have a child attending
• A family requesting re-admission
• Families who only recently moved into their church parish but were actively involved in their previous parish

If parents feel their situation warrants special consideration, they should do the following when submitting their application:

1. Address a letter to the principal explaining their special circumstances
2. Submit any documentation that substantiates their claim (e.g. letter of recommendation from their former pastor)

In light of the above information, the principal shall have the authority to make exceptions to the above policies after consulting with the Chancellor.

I. No Application Fees
The number of categories listed above should not discourage parents from submitting their application. They should not assume that "we do not have a chance" even if they conclude their child will not receive a high priority. The only children who do not have a chance of being accepted are those whose applications are not submitted. Since there are no application fees, parents have nothing to lose by submitting an application.

J. Application Timetable

The following is the usual timetable for the processing of applications:

1. Application forms are made available at the beginning of January for the following school year.
2. Applications are normally due at the end of January.
3. The decision of acceptance or non-acceptance is usually made by mid-February.
4. Based on the priority determined, a waiting list of applications is maintained until the following January when the process begins anew.