Five Things to Know about Private School

St. Thomas More senior Kassidy Kirsch shares five facts about what it’s like to attend private school in Rapid City.

As public school students we often wonder what it’s like to be on the other side—the other side being private school. We talked with Kassidy Kirsch, a senior at St. Thomas More, who cleared up a few misconceptions and shined some light on what private school is really like. Here, then, are five facts to help public school students understand how a private school like St. Thomas More functions.

1. They do pray—and often.

They attend mass every Thursday. Kassidy admires that the school “allows us to express our love for God and helps us find God’s love for us.”

2. They seriously don’t mind the uniforms.

Maybe it’s because they’re used to it, or maybe it’s because they help them feel equal with everyone, but Kirsch notes that the uniforms “are actually super comfy. Sometimes I even skip out on the jeans days because I prefer to wear my uniform.”

3. Student enrollment is smaller than usual—but the bonds they share are greater.

“Our school has 280 kids,” Kirsch reveals. “Everyone knows everyone and that’s my favorite part.” Kassidy appreciates the connection that comes along with going to a school with fewer students, admiring how if something tragic happens in your family, the school will come together and pray.

4. Academics are extremely important.

Of course since St. Thomas More is a smaller school they won’t have the wide array of classes that a public school like Central can offer, but Kassidy responds by noting that teachers “still make the classes challenging. We probably have about two and a half hours of homework every night. It’s really competitive and tough here.”

5. Teachers are easier to connect with.

Again, because the enrollment number is so small, the student to teacher ratio is about 15:1. Kirsch says that the teachers help students frequently because they know the classes and work load can be difficult. “They really want us to succeed and continue to point us in the right direction.”