Non-discriminatory Policy

St. Gabriel School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs or other school-administered programs.

Preschool-8th grade Pre-Registration

Priority pre-registration for the 2025-26 school year is available as of October 15.  Priority pre-registration deadline will be January 17, 2025.  After January 17, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.  A non-refundable application fee of $100, plus a $22 FACTS fee, per child, will reserve a place for the upcoming school year subject to availability and priority guidelines. Families must complete the enrollment packet in FACTS to be considered registered for the following school year. 

Age Requirements

• Children must be three years old by August 1 and toilet trained in order to enter St. Gabriel Preschool (3’s).
• Children must be four years old by August 1 to enter St. Gabriel Pre-Kindergarten (4’s).
• Children must be five years old by December 1 in order to enter Junior Kindergarten 
•  Children must be five years old by August 1 in order to enter Kindergarten.
• Children must be six years old by August 1 in order to enter first grade.

Early Admission to Kindergarten

Kindergarten for Archdiocese of Louisville begins with students who turn age 5 on or before August 1 for the 2024-2025 school year. In accordance with KRS 158.031(6), Archdiocese of Louisville has established criteria for early admission into kindergarten, for students who have mastered established benchmarks and if the child has above-average skill levels before age 5. 

Students who turn 5 years old between August 2 and October 1 may be eligible to enroll provided that the student meets or exceeds predetermined physical, behavioral, academic, and social/emotional criteria established by the Archdiocese of Louisville and St. Gabriel School.  Only children that meet or exceed this criteria will be considered for early admission to Kindergarten. 

The application to petition for early admission will be open between November 1, 2023, and March 1, 2024, for those that feel their child has above-average ability levels and wish to petition for early admission to kindergarten.  After the March 1, 2024 deadline, there will not be any opportunities to petition the school for early admission to kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year. 

Criteria for Early Admission (per section 5114.1 of Archdiocese of Louisville Handbook for Catholic Schools)

• Child must turn 5 between August 2 and October 1 of the admission year; and

• Child must score at or above the 80th percentile on the BRIGANCE Kindergarten Screen Three core assessments, self-help, and social-emotional scales; and

• Child must meet the admission criteria of the local Catholic school

Students born between August 2 and October 1 of the admission year who do not score at the 80% or above on the BRIGANCE Kindergarten Screen Three may be considered for admission to junior kindergarten or preschool for no additional fee.

Early Admission to Kindergarten Petition Process 

• Parent/guardian will complete the online application as the initial step for petitioning for early entrance to kindergarten.

• The admissions team will review the application.

• Once an application is approved, the parent/guardian will be contacted by school staff to set up an appointment for a screening. 

• The student will be screened by qualified St. Gabriel staff.

• Parents will be notified of their child’s screening results within two weeks of the screening.

• The decision based on screening results is final.  There is no appeal process. If a child does not meet the criteria there will be no opportunities to rescreen or appeal the findings

Note: Being prepared for kindergarten is more than just mastering basic academic skills. A child must be prepared academically, socially-emotionally,  and physically. Research shows that children are more likely to transition to kindergarten if they are the same age as their peers. An extended period of early childhood play yields mental health and social development.

Entrance Requirements

All students enrolling in school in Kentucky for the first time must furnish the school with the following ORIGINAL MEDICAL FORMS authorized by the State of Kentucky:

• Physical Exam Form 
• Current, original Immunization Form 
• Eye Exam Form for School Entry (Kindergarten only)

Priority of Acceptance

The purpose of a Catholic education is to assure that Catholic truths and values are fully integrated with the student’s life and academic program. The St. Gabriel Community includes both church and school which work together, not separately, in carrying out the mission of St. Gabriel.  Parents should enroll their children in St. Gabriel School if they desire and intend to support and participate fully in the faith programs of the St. Gabriel community.

Once admitted to Saint Gabriel the Archangel Catholic School, students (preschool through 8th grade) maintain first priority for annual re-enrollment into kindergarten-8th grade if stewardship (if applicable) and financial commitment involving tuition requirements are sustained.

The following guidelines will apply to families who complete an application prior to the priority deadline.  Applications received after the priority deadline will be considered on a rolling basis.

All application documents must be submitted prior to review by the admissions committee.  An application does not guarantee placement.

Priority for admittance of new students is based on the following:

1. Children of St. Gabriel staff members

2. Siblings of currently enrolled students 

3. Active St. Gabriel Parish members based on length of parents’ active participation in the parish

4. Members of Catholic parishes that do not have any affiliation with a school (verification letter from pastor required)

5. Non-Catholic students

In case of conflict, the date of formal parish registration along with supportive stewardship activities, and the baptismal date of the student, will determine the order of admissions.

Any student admitted to St. Gabriel School will be on probation to be sure adjustment to St. Gabriel School proceeds as smoothly as possible. In most cases, the length of probation is the child’s first grading period. However, the principal may adjust the length of time to better serve the needs of the child and St. Gabriel School.

Parents/guardians are required to inform St. Gabriel officials of their child’s special academic, emotional or physical needs. St. Gabriel officials must also be informed of any testing for learning disabilities by Jefferson County Public Schools or any private agency. Copies of testing reports are needed to be considered for acceptance. St. Gabriel officials have the right to decide if its program will best meet an individual child’s special learning needs.

Updated 03/2024