St. Catherine-St. Lucy: Love and Support in a Nurturing Environment
A TNB Partner School Profile
St. Catherine-St. Lucy (SCSL) School is a private Catholic grammar school serving Chicago's Austin community and surrounding West Side. St. Catherine of Siena School started more than 100 years ago on the present campus. In 1974, St. Lucy parish and school closed, merging with St. Catherine of Siena and launching a different stage in its evolution.
Bucking national trends, the school features growing enrollment, a strong sense of community, and student growth in math and reading that exceeded grade-level expectations by 20% last year. To ensure financial barriers never stand in the way of a high-quality education, 99% of its students receive financial assistance.
Enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year is 232, with waiting lists for several of the grades. All of the students qualify for free/reduced lunch. The students live in several nearby communities, principally Austin, West Garfield Park, Galewood, and Douglass Park.
The administrative team consists of a President, Principal, Assistant Principal, and part-time Director of Operations. The school has 11 faculty members and three preschool aides. The student-to-faculty ratio varies by grade level: 10:1 (preschool), 20:1 (kindergarten), 25:1 (Grades 1-8).
“Our school is built on peace, excellence, and love and pairs high academic standards with a safe, caring community.”—Stanton Peck, SCSL President
Academic Programs and Support
A prominent feature of the SCSL School curriculum is its Early Learning Academy, which features play-based centers focused on literacy, art, motor skills, and exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) concepts.
Other notable programs include
Reading Horizons (kindergarteners and first grade), an educational reading program for beginning students.
EnVision Mathematics (second-eighth grade), a math curriculum that combines problem-solving with visual learning.
Lab Aids Science & Engineering (second-eighth grade), which features hands-on learning.
The Peacemaker Program (all grades), which stresses the love of self and neighbor.
The High School Bridge Program (seventh and eighth grade), which helps students successfully transition from elementary school to high school.
Staunton Peck, President, underscores SCSL’s values. “Our school is built on peace, excellence, and love and pairs high academic standards with a safe, caring community where every student has the ability to become their best self."
Early in their time at SCSL School, students are put on a path that leads to academic success. The entire graduating class of ’25—just like the class of ’24—has been accepted to top-tier high schools like Fenwick, Trinity, Christ the King, St. Patrick's, Hope, and CPS Selective Enrollment.
SCSL is blessed with volunteers who provide individual tutoring and other support, such as occupational and speech therapy. New this year, the SCSL administrative team has hired a full-time certified Special Education Teacher who will serve all current and future students with Individualized Education Plans and 504 Plans.
There is a formal tutoring program conducted by Learning Edge on Mondays in the Maguire Tutoring Center. And approximately 20 Fenwick students come to the tutoring center every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoon for one-on-one tutoring with fifth through eighth graders.
Developing the Whole Person
Sports teams are an important part of the extracurricular offerings and include boys’ and girls’ basketball and volleyball, coed volleyball, track & field, and flag football teams. SCSL School has partnered with Maryville Golf Academy to offer a golf program for students, led by a PGA member who provides golf and caddie instruction and experience.
The school offers non-sports extracurricular activities as well, including chess club, high school test prep, and interscholastic academic competitions, such as the Black History Bowl held every year at Leo High School. SCSL School has won the Black History Bowl the last few years.
Despite this strong foundation, several programs are still needed, especially a full-time social worker and funding to provide “specials” programming (e.g., STEAM, music, art, theatre, yoga, and foreign language).
A Bright Future
Because of the strong academic track record and success of its sports teams, enrollment has been booming at SCSL School over the last few years. Coupled with its phenomenal and sustainable fundraising success, the future of SCSL School is very bright.
But parents especially value what it offers right now, as this one parent attests, "My daughter is an eighth-grader at St. Catherine - St. Lucy School, graduating this May. We are so grateful for this loving environment, where God's presence has continuously nurtured her, her classmates, and our families on our faith journeys."
Read about some of our other partner schools, including Christ the King Jesuit College Prep and Catalyst Circle Rock Elementary School.