FAQs

You may schedule an in-person tour with admissions staff, or register for an Open House by going to our Visit page.  

A: As a member of Houston Area Independent Schools (HAIS), Saint Thomas' Episcopal School adheres to the following non-discriminatory policy:

HAIS NON-DISCRIMINATORY POLICY

Houston Area Independent Schools admit students of any race, color, and national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at these schools. These schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, and national and ethnic origin in administration of their educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

A: We always have openings at the preschool, kindergarten, sixth, and ninth grade levels, and encourage you to check with our Admissions Office on availability in other grades.

A:  We adhere to state law that a child must be 5 years old on or before September 1 to enroll in kindergarten.

A: You will receive an email to confirm our receipt of the application. If you do not receive this within one week of submitting your application, please contact the Admissions Office immediately at 713.666.3111.

A: While we strive to provide a sound, affordable education to every student, it is important to know tuition and fees are evaluated annually in effort to maintain the same quality of education. Please refer to our Tuition and Fees page to see the cost for this academic year.

A: Tuition may be paid annually, semi-annually, or in 10 monthly installments. All payment options, with the exception of annual, will be collected via ACH or credit card through FACTS payment system. All tuition payments begin in June. International students requiring I-20 paperwork from STE must pay tuition and fees in full by June 1.

A: Our school is the largest outreach mission of Saint Thomas’ Episcopal Church. We have chapel daily for approximately 40 minutes, and it is a religious service that includes singing, praying, and reading scripture. All students must attend, regardless of their religion or denomination. Lower and Upper School students take Sacred Studies as a part of their curriculum. In Middle School, sixth grade history classes utilize the Bible as a primary resource. We are a diverse school and welcome students of different faiths and religious backgrounds.

A: It is required in the fifth through eighth grades and optional in ninth grade and higher.

We believe Latin is important for many reasons. The major language of the Western world for more than two thousand years, it is the parent language of French, Spanish, and Italian, among others. It is a cousin to Greek, Sanskrit, and the Germanic languages. Thus, a good understanding of Latin facilitates learning both the Romance and the Germanic languages. English is overwhelmingly indebted to Latin, and students who take Latin tend to perform better on standardized testing.

It is far easier for a student to learn English vocabulary when they can analyze the basic Latin roots and infer the definition rather than memorize meanings in a vacuum. Latin is also an invaluable aid in teaching English grammar because basic grammatical concepts become clearer in a student’s mind when presented in the logical structure of the Latin language. The ability logically to deduce sense from a statement (i.e., comprehension) is significantly increased. Also, Latin terms are standard in many professions including law and medicine.

A: Student safety is a priority. We have heart defibrillators, fire extinguishers, restricted points of entry, and security cameras strategically placed throughout our gated campus. Everyone who works with children at STE must take a Safeguarding God’s Children training course, and faculty and staff are also trained to administer CPR. We have security personnel that patrol campus and our parking lots.

A: Racially, 20% of students are Asian, 8% are Hispanic, and 6% are African American. We also enroll students from many different religions, including Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Our low cost of tuition relevant to other private schools, and our availability of need-based financial aid, allow for a diverse socio-economic community as well.

A: While there is no one educational environment that is right for every student, there are a number of benefits enjoyed by our students and families that are only accessible in a private school. Learn more about many of the reasons families choose private education.

On average, 90% of eligible STE families return each school year. Therefore, we desire to make the re-enrollment process simple. Continuous Enrollment fosters a sense of stability and long-term commitment to the school community, ensuring that students benefit from consistent values, healthy social well-being, and strong academic standards throughout their formative years. This streamlined approach also eliminates annual paperwork and burdensome processes, making it easier for parents.

• January 1: Tuition Assistance applications may be submitted through FACTS.
• February 1: Tuition for the following academic year will be posted to the STE website.
• February 28/29: Any changes in enrollment plans must be emailed to the STE Admission Office at admissions@stes.org.
• March 1 – May 31: STE families that terminate the continuous enrollment contract by withdrawing their students between March 1 – May 31 will be contractually obligated to pay 50% of the following year’s tuition.
• June 1: STE families that terminate the continuous enrollment contract by withdrawing their students on or after June 1 will be contractually obligated to pay 100% of the following year’s tuition.
• These dates allow the STE Administration to effectively plan for staffing, space allocation, curricular offerings, and budgeting for the following academic year.

Upon the one-time completion of the continuous enrollment contract, current students will be re-enrolled for each academic year until graduation if they have maintained satisfactory academic performance and behavior as determined by STE and have made all applicable payments. 

How do I choose or change my payment plan?
Your payment plan will remain the same as the current school year's plan unless you notify the Business Office at businessoffice@stes.org of any changes via email before May 1st.

How do I apply for financial assistance?
Financial assistance applications for the upcoming school year will open on January 1st. To apply, please use FACTS. All applications and associated documents must be submitted by April 1st.

What if a current STE student does not re-enroll for the 2025-2026 school year by March 1?
After the re-enrollment period in February, available spaces will be offered to new applicants. These accepted applicants will have until the Houston Area Independent Schools (HAIS) Common Reply Date in late March to decide. After that date, if spaces remain, they may be offered to either new or current students. If you re-enroll after February, a new student fee will apply.

How do I change my preschool student’s attendance schedule?
Send an email to the Preschool Director at STEpreschool@stes.org requesting the change.