FAQs

Students who desire an educational experience founded on the Catholic philosophy of education and who fulfill age, health, academic, and behavioral requirements.

The Basilica School of Saint Mary admits students of any race, color or national origin.

We follow the diocesan acceptance priority.

Applications for the upcoming school year are accepted starting in November of the current school year. Stay tuned to our website for the date of our Fall Open House which kicks off our application period. Applications are submitted via the online submission form. Links can be found on the admissions information page.

The Basilica School of Saint Mary follows a rolling admissions policy. To be considered for possible acceptance in the first round of evaluations, completed applications, along with all supporting documents, must be received by February 5, 2021. Those applications received after that date will be considered should space be available or placed in our waitpool.

Parents are notified of the first round of admissions decisions in March. Children not admitted are placed in our waitpool. If not accepted from our waitpool and you remain interested in the Basilica School of Saint Mary, you must reapply for the next academic year as applications do not carry over.

Classes for students in grades K—5 begin at 8:00am.
Classes for students in grades 6, 7, and 8 begin at 7:55am.
Dismissal for all grades is 3:15pm (except on Wednesday, when dismissal is 2:15pm).
Preschool begins each day at 8:00am and ends at 12:00pm (except on Wednesday, when enrichment is offered until 2:00pm).

Extended care is available to families with children enrolled in grades K-8 until 6pm. We also offer a supervised care program before the school day begins. See Extended Care for more detailed information.

Our target class size is 26 students.

There is a teacher and full time instructional aide in each classroom in grades PreK - 3. From grades 4 - 8 there is a floating aide for each grade level the assists each classroom in their grade.

There are three classrooms at each grade level.

The Basilica School of Saint Mary students score above the national average with the majority of our students performing in the top 25th percentile on standardized assessments.

The Basilica School of Saint Mary practices differentiated instruction meeting the needs of our diverse learners. This is particularly evident in Language Arts via the Word Study and the Accelerated Reader programs. Additionally, students in grades 6-8 have the opportunity for advanced math placement.

All schools in the Diocese of Arlington follow the same curriculum. Guidelines are posted on the Diocese of Arlington website, www.arlingtondiocese.org, under the “Education” tab, as well as on this website by clicking here.

Information on St. Mary School uniforms can be found by clicking here.

Yes. Click here to explore the extracurricular activities offered by the Basilica School of Saint Mary.

A hot lunch is served daily, along with fresh selections, such as prepared salads and sandwiches. The daily menu can be found on our school calendar. Additional information on our lunch program can be found by clicking here.

Parent-organized bus service, which is coordinated with the City of Alexandria, is available for a fee to families living in Alexandria's Rosemont area. The bus is only for after school dismissal, not for arrival to school. The bus does not leave after extended day, it leaves at dismissal (3:15pm on all days except for Wednesday (2:15pm)).