All grads get college-prep scholarships

Two years ago, Craig Durham II and Jelani Reeves weren't too happy when their mothers enrolled them in the all-boys Loyola Academy. But, now, they have evidence the school-switch was a good one.

Craig and Jelani are among 15 graduated 8th graders who have been accepted as scholarship students in some of the area's best college-preparatory high schools.

This is the 7th year in a row that all of Loyola's 8th grade grads have been enrolled in area college prep schools.

The all-boys Jesuit middle school accepts only economically-disadvantaged kids who haven't been living up to their educational potential.

Craig Durham II

Two years ago, Craig was in 6th grade at nearby Cole Elementary School in the City of St. Louis. He said classes at Cole were "kinda easy because the lessons were pretty basic."

But, his mother wasn't satisfied with his school progress and wanted to find a more challenging educational environment. She focused on Loyola Academy.

The 10-year-old school was set up by Father Paul Sheridan and a group of community leaders to provide better educational opportunities for kids from poor families. Sheridan was the former president of Saint Louis University High School.

Eighty per cent of the Loyola students qualify for the federal free or reduced-cost lunch program. Seventy-five per cent of the students are from one-parent or guardian families.

Students are given standardized tests to determine their educational potential.

Then, when accepted, the kids are monitored for progress. For instance, before entrance, Craig tested only in the 19th percentile of the Iowa test. But, at the end of his first year, he had improved to the 50th percentile.

Fourteen-year-old Craig admitted his Loyola classes "were more of a push." He said, "I needed to get started with my studies."

At graduation from 8th grade, Craig has been accepted as a scholarship student at DeSmet High School. He starts this fall.

He said he'll be preparing for a college, where he'll be studying to become a lawyer. "I want to get into corporate law," he said.

Jelani Reeves

Both Craig and Jelani Reeves said one of the biggest changes between their previous public school and Loyola was the absence of girls.

Thirteen-year-old Jelani said, "At first, I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to leave my friends.

"It took three months before I figured out the school switch was for the better."

He said, at Loyola, students all listen to their teachers. "At my other school, no one seemed to listen to the teachers," he said. After his Loyola experience, Jelani decided that girls in his classes were "a distraction."

Another change at Loyola is that parents are encouraged to help at the school.

School president Kevin Lee said Jelani'a mother, Staccie Bell, is an "all-star volunteer" at the school. He estimated 30 per cent of the parents volunteer and the number would be higher if many single-parents didn't have to work full-time.

Jelani said his mother got interested in Loyola because one of his cousins had been a student at the school. The cousin, D'akari Burrell, is now a junior at DeSmet. Jelani starts at DeSmet in the fall.

He said one of the biggest changes he discovered at Loyola was that "everyone communicated with each other." That sense of togetherness and ease of communication helps with the education process, he said.

Craig has served as a role-model for his younger brother, 11-year-old Carlos, who will be a 6th grader at Loyola in the fall.

Another big difference at Loyola is the length of the school day.

The kids arrive at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast and classes start at 8 a.m. After-school activities run 2:35 to 3:55 p.m. All students then are in study hall from 4:15 to 5:15 and are dismissed at 5:30 p.m.

In addition, all kids participate in a mandatory 6-week summer session.

The school has 60 students attending 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes in the fall. In addition, the school provides graduate support for 80 former students.

The follow-up with graduates is part of the program where Loyola provides up to $3,000 in the tuition for high school. The school's director of alumni support visits all the graduates at least once a month

To continue to get Loyola support, graduates must maintain a 2.0 GPA in high school, attend weekly study hall and do 2-3 hours a month of community service at Loyola.

For the recently-completed school year, Loyola had 67 former graduates in 12 college prep schools in the St. Louis area. CBC High School had the largest number of graduates at 22 while nearby Cardinal Ritter High School had 13.

Administrators said a year of classes at Loyola costs more than $12,500. The kids' parents pay an average of $755 in annual tuition, based on their family income.

In all, tuition payments amount to just 4.3% of the operating budget. The rest comes from donations from individuals, corporations and foundations.

Summer school at Loyola started this month. Included is a class to explore the possibility of adding a 5th grade to the program.

(If you or your family are interested in knowing more about Loyola, you could call Beverly Arri Rombach, the director of development, at (314) 531-9091 Ext. 110.)