The Official Newspaper of the Diocese of Little Rock
Throughout the school year, Arkansas Catholic helps to celebrate Catholic education in the state with Catholic Schools Herald. In this section, you'll find a variety of topics, including what schools are doing for the Year of Mercy, the newest "silent" language course taught at Mount St. Mary Academy and how Sister Judith Marie inspires with her call to religious life and teaching.
Children in Arkansas Catholic schools learn about various teachings of the faith throughout the school year, but 2016 will bring a new emphasis — mercy.
In March, Pope Francis announced the Holy Year of Mercy is an extraordinary jubilee to emphasis the Church’s “mission to be a witness of mercy,” according to a Catholic News Service article.
“Children need mercy too,” said Paige Coppola, vice principal of Christ the King School in Little Rock. “Every day in More... 
While “hola,” “bonjour” and “salve” echo through the Spanish, French and Latin classes at Mount St. Mary Academy, one language course is full of energy without making a sound.
This year, MSM is offering a semester-long American Sign Language course for students to have better outreach to the local deaf community and as an option for students with learning differences to learn an additional language more easily.
“One of our Mercy values is the dignity of all More...
FORT SMITH — It was “Terrific Tuesday” at Christ the King Elementary School, and almost everyone — students, teachers, staff and custodians — wore bright tie-dye school T-shirts. The school’s new Spanish teacher, neatly dressed in a long black jumper and pressed white shirt, proclaimed the good news: “There’s a sister on the faculty.”
Sister Judith Marie Timmerman, OSB, has returned to teaching after three years of being a student herself. She felt the call to More...
Pope Francis declared Nov. 29, 2014, to Feb. 2, 2016, as the Year of Consecrated Life. The purpose of the year is to be grateful for the past and embrace the future with hope. We are all consecrated in our baptism to follow Jesus. However, some are in what we call a special state of commitment to the consecrated life and to carry out the mission of Jesus.
We are most familiar with the religious brothers and sisters of particular orders. They have taken More...
Enrollment
Schools: 27
Total enrollment: 6,776
Elementary enrollment: 4,774
Secondary enrollment: 2,002
Percentage of Catholic students: 78.5
Total enrollment in preschools: 716
Race and ethnicity
Percentage of white students: 88.4
Percentage of Asian students: 4.3
Percentage of black students: 1.7
Percentage of multi-racial students: 4.1
Percentage of Hispanic students: 11.3*
The remaining students are Native American, from the Pacific island region or unknown.
*Hispanic is not considered a race but an ethnic group.
Staffing
Total professional staff: 651
Percentage of staff who are laypeople: 97.6
Percentage of staff who are Catholic: 79.4
Costs
Average annual More...
New Catholic principals leading schools in five cities
Five educators to begin master’s degree program
Principals go above and beyond job description
Fr. Gregory Hart taking medical leave; new pastor named
Vatican survey seeking input from teens, young adults