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For Katie Marsh, all roads lead back to St. John the Evangelist School in Schenectady. She started as a fifth-grade teacher there last fall, more than 10 years after attending the school herself.

"I loved it," Ms. Marsh said. "My parents couldn't imagine sending me anywhere else."

Today, she can't imagine working anywhere else. She enjoyed doing observations at other schools, but felt most comfortable at St. John the Evangelist, where many old teachers are now her coworkers.

St. John the Evangelist School was established in 1856, and the current building was constructed in the 1950s. It stands next to the Gothic parish church and opposite Union College. The school has 194 students in pre-Kindergarten to sixth grade.

The student body is 78 percent Catholic. The rest are mostly members of other Christian denominations; several are Hindu. Third-, fourth- and fifth-graders score higher on state English and math exams than other diocesan and state students.

Ms. Marsh finds the students friendly and flexible - perhaps because they're inspired by weekly "Caught 'Ya Doing Good" assemblies that stress respect, responsibility and kindness. Teachers nominate a student for lending a pencil or holding a door for someone without being asked. Winners receive a prize or snack.

Ms. Marsh appreciates the support she receives from parents, some of whom surprise the teachers with doughnuts or lunch. To reduce tuition or just to be involved, parents often volunteer for lunch duty, library duty, mentoring or after-school activities.

Gina Alvord has taught at St. John the Evangelist for 20 years, and her children go there now. "It's a place where we [parents] can become a partner in their education," she said.

The close-knit community, as well as the opportunity to share her faith with the children, makes St. John's "my second home," Mrs. Alvord said, noting her relationship with coworkers. Friendships among students become life-long, too: "We have kids who still meet on the front steps, and they're in college."

Marie Keenan, principal, remembers about a dozen years ago when 290 students attended. Now, though enrollment is down by a third, the school gained six students compared to last year because grade six was reinstated. The move was made after a three-year hiatus to coordinate with a change in the grades at local public schools.

Ms. Keenan attributes the decline to the sour U.S. economy, the rise in tuition and population decline in Schenectady. Parents pay between $3,350 and $5,000, depending on how much aid they receive and how much service they give to the school. But students from eight different public school districts attend St. John's.

(03/04/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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