Remsen St. Mary’s Schools are fully accredited and provide a strong academic foundation in a Catholic/Christian environment. Our programs begin with preschool and continue through grade twelve.

St. Mary’s education takes place across two centers:

• St. Mary’s Grade School (Fulton St.): Little Hawks Preschool, transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1–4

• St. Mary’s Middle & High School (Madison St.): Grades 5–12

Enrollment Totals 2025–26

• Transitional Kindergarten–12th grade: 178 students

• Total including preschool: 197 students

Breakdown by age:

• High School (9–12): 45 students

• Middle School (5–8): 60 students

• Grade School (TK-4): 73 students

• Preschool (3-year-old and 4-year-old classes): 19 students

• TK-4th grade + preschool: 92 students
  
  

Each day begins with prayer, and every class is opened with petitions and guidance. Students spend time daily learning about their Catholic faith and traditions. Masses give them opportunities to serve as lectors, greeters, or altar servers, strengthening their role in parish life. Outreach programs encourage students to care for those in need, and respect for life—from conception to natural death—is central to all we teach and practice. St. Mary’s is proud to be passionately pro-life.

For families living outside the Remsen-Union district, the Iowa legislature provides reimbursement funds to assist with transportation to private schools. We also encourage carpooling to support our families.

St. Mary’s Schools and Parish are part of the Sioux City Diocese.

On behalf of the St. Mary’s School System, we extend a warm welcome to students, their parents, and visitors to this site.  

As a school board, we strive to do our best to work with our respective parishes and the administration of this school. Our goal is to enable the students to learn about themselves, others, and the world around them in a Christ-centered atmosphere under the care and nurturing of our teachers. 

We are very happy to be partners with you in providing your children with a Catholic education. Thank you for all you do to enable this to happen. 

-St. Mary’s School Board

The aim of St. Mary’s Elementary School and St. Mary’s High School
is to help young men and women: 

“to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God.”
(Micah 6:8)

Grounded in the Catholic Faith and built on a strong Catholic Educational tradition, the school promotes: 

ACTING JUSTLY

We believe we should accept responsibility for our own actions. We should have the integrity to do the right thing under all circumstances and to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. 

LOVING TENDERLY 

We seek to honor the dignity of every person as a child of God. By fostering an environment in which trust and acceptance is nurtured, our students learn to respect others and develop a willingness to volunteer and to be a person of service. 

WALKING HUMBLY WITH OUR GOD 

We are committed to living as a community of faith. We fully rely on God and let Him guide us through our journey of life. Through our strong academics and extracurricular programs, we teach our students to use their talents and gifts to carry out God’s will and encourage our students to build a personal relationship with our God.

The philosophy of St. Mary’s School is based on Biblical teachings, culminating in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and continuing through current Catholic Church teachings. Our school complements the family by promoting the holistic education of each student, focusing on spiritual, scholastic, and social development, while keeping in mind the economic impact of a Catholic education.  

Spiritual

Our school provides a God-centered atmosphere that allows students to develop their knowledge of the Catholic faith and to live that faith in their personal lives. As Christians, we proclaim counter-cultural values and teach respect for God, all people, and all creation. We instill moral values in our students and encourage one another to foster stewardship of the gifts God has given each of us.  

Scholastic

Our educational system helps each student to gain a broad base of knowledge and experience across all curriculum areas. In order to prepare individual students to be citizens of a global community, we stress effective communication, physical well-being, advanced technological skills, responsible decision making, higher-level thinking, individual creativity, and the ability to access and interpret information. Since education is ongoing, we approach these essential skills as part of a lifelong process.  

Social

We acknowledge the dignity and uniqueness of each person. As Christians, we also have a responsibility to our community and the world. We emphasize that acceptance, cooperation, compassion, personal accountability, responsibility, and Christian leadership be expressed in daily life. Christian service is a fundamental expression of these beliefs.  

Economic Impact 

St. Mary’s Grade School and St. Mary’s High School save the tax payers of the school district $1,242,000.00 in taxes, annually. The schools’ payroll generates $933,028.00, multiplied many times over in our community.

• Demonstrate an internalized structure for decision-making that is morally rooted in Catholic teaching and values; behave in a manner reflecting the democratic principles of the United States Constitution, and act with loyal support to one’s family and school. 
• Apply the abilities of precise thinking that will enable them to master content necessary to a productive career and an orientation to life-long learning. 
• Portray the knowledge and skills necessary to function in a complex, and ever-changing world, including, but not limited to: 

1. Work individually and independently;
2. Work with others in a team effort;
3. Take stock in one’s self and make a plan for his/her choices in life;
4. Use creative, problem-solving processes;
5. Use technology;
6. Respect different cultures from the community, nation, and world;
7. Interact effectively with others in speech and prose;
8. Compete and succeed with integrity and good sportsmanship;
9. Use the gifts God has given us with good stewardship;
10. Project a positive self-esteem based on knowing a personal relationship with others that is built on

• A clear, faith-filled relationship with God;
• Pride of one’s personal heritage;
• Healthy choices that have a positive effect on physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being;
• Development of God-given talents, and using these talents in a way that best serve the community;
• A sense of humor.

We are very happy to be partners with you in providing your children with a Catholic education. Thank you for all you do to enable this to happen. 
-St. Mary’s School Board