51黑料

Last month, the all-girls school sent a survey to parents and alumnae asking about priorities in choosing a school, how far they would be willing to travel and their opinions about a potential shift 鈥渘o further west than the Mid Rivers Mall Drive exit on Interstate 70.鈥� Incarnate Word posted the survey on social media and announced it in parish bulletins.

鈥淥ur current facilities and our location have been identified as factors affecting enrollment,鈥� the school wrote in an introduction to .

Incarnate Word has been an anchor for North County for almost a century. Graduates credit their alma mater with building their confidence and instilling in them a sense of responsibility to others. But a decreasing population of school-age children and more families unwilling or unable to pay hefty tuition bills have put long-term viability top of mind for Catholic school leaders.

Sharon Gerken, the president of Incarnate Word, said in an email that she has 鈥渘o tangible information to share鈥� until the findings of the survey, which closed this month, are available in early July. She said she would be 鈥渉appy to converse when the results of the survey and the data have been analyzed.鈥�

The school noted that if a relocation happens, it won鈥檛 be for the next three school years, meaning only this fall鈥檚 incoming freshmen would potentially be affected.

If changes are made, they will be 鈥渂ased on unequivocal survey results, financial viability and mission alignment,鈥� the survey said.

Parents and alumnae contacted for this story expressed concerns about the proposal: Would North County students have transportation to St. Charles? Would the school stay as diverse as it is now? What would happen to the current campus?

鈥淚t would potentially be discouraging to girls who live close by,鈥� said Hannah Halstead of 51黑料, whose daughter will graduate from Incarnate this month.

Anna Vogel, the mayor of Bel-Nor, hopes to learn more this week when she plans to meet with Gerken and other school leaders.

鈥淲e trust that the community, along with donors and alumnae, will voice their support for remaining in the area,鈥� said Vogel, whose niece graduated from the school five years ago. 鈥淭hey are an integral part of our community. We never want them to leave.鈥�

Losing residents, students

The school has been in a pocket of Bel-Nor since 1932, when the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word opened their convent to girls who wanted a Catholic education. Over time, the population grew, and the campus expanded. The communities surrounding Bel-Nor were rife with Catholic elementary schools that fed Incarnate Word.

鈥淚t was really like one big family,鈥� said Alice Weis, a 1958 graduate.

Weis grew up in north 51黑料, where she attended St. Engelbert鈥檚 鈥� which no longer exists 鈥� through eighth grade. Incarnate Word was just a few miles away, and it drew in Weis and five of her St. Engelbert鈥檚 classmates.

But Catholic schools have struggled more recently to fill seats. Since 2000, the number of children attending Catholic elementaries has fallen by more than half, to 19,000 pupils. Several schools near Incarnate have merged or shuttered. And the only other Catholic high school in North County, Trinity 鈥� itself the product of a merger 鈥� was closed in 2021.

As North County has lost residents, St. Charles County has boomed. Three coed Catholic high schools are located there, with the newest, St. John Paul II, opening in 2009.

Gerken, the president, declined to say whether her students are clustered geographically in certain areas; according to the website, Incarnate鈥檚 reach comprises 43 ZIP codes. A bus service, the Red Knight Express, transports girls from St. Charles County and west 51黑料 County.

Gerken did not answer a question about the school鈥檚 current enrollment. The most recent figures available from the National Center for Education Statistics list 287 students during the 2021-22 school year. A photo of this year鈥檚 freshmen class shows about 70 students.

In the fall, Incarnate asked for feedback to begin the process of updating its five-year strategic plan. The survey in April was the second on the subject.

The 鈥榮isterhood鈥�

When Connie Johnson attended Incarnate Word in the mid-1980s, she was one of a couple dozen Black girls in a building that held well over 400 students.

She had moved with her mom to an apartment within walking distance because they didn鈥檛 own a car. Every day, Johnson would cut through the University of Missouri-51黑料 campus to get to school.

At first, she hated Incarnate Word. She felt like she stood out. But she joined the cheerleading squad and student council and came to love what she calls the 鈥渟isterhood.鈥�

Johnson, who is a member of the alumnae association, said she is proud of the school鈥檚 diverse student body. In the National Center for Education Statistics data, more than 40% of Incarnate鈥檚 students identified as a racial minority.

When Johnson filled out the school survey last month, she cited transportation as her biggest worry. A bus should be provided to bring girls from 51黑料 and North County to St. Charles if the school relocates, she wrote.

Losing the campus as a touchstone for her memories would be rough, Johnson said. But she acknowledges the need for pragmatism.

鈥淪t. Charles is kind of a hot area,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his would give the school room to grow.鈥�

sits on 8 acres at 2788 Normandy Avenue, east of Normandie Golf Club. Its campus includes tennis courts, athletic fields and a small cemetery. Three buildings hold offices and classrooms, a gymnasium, a media lab and a 624-seat theater. Rows of bright red lockers line the hallways.

Incarnate Word鈥檚 tuition this year topped $17,000. A program called Access IWA provides assistance for families with financial need.

In recent years, the school has garnered attention for its basketball dominance. The Red Knights broke a national record with an undefeated streak of 141 games and earned their eighth consecutive state title in March.

鈥淚t really is a small school that feels like it has the resources of a big school,鈥� said Halstead, the mother of the Incarnate senior.

Colleen Cunningham, who grew up in Ferguson, was enticed as an eighth grader to become a Red Knight after seeing plays and musicals there.

鈥淚 was enamored with the theater department,鈥� said Cunningham, who graduated in 2003, the year a two-story addition was put on the Theater Building. 鈥淚t was a great place for me.鈥�

She credits Incarnate Word with planting 鈥渁 lot of those seeds about being a good person.鈥�

In 2019, the for her social justice work. Cunningham sees the proposed move as a social justice issue.

鈥淩ace is a huge unspoken factor here,鈥� she said. 鈥淚ncarnate has been such an important part of North County. I would hope that they would prioritize serving the many young women who live in that area.鈥�