St. Alphonsus Parish has served the Seattle community of Ballard since 1891, and the brick schoolhouse that rises prominently over the 15th Avenue NW corridor has been forming young Catholics there for more than a century. Bishop Edward J. O'Dea dedicated the school building on February 11, 1923, but the school itself traces back to 1907, when it opened as Holy Angels Academy under the leadership of the Edmond Dominican Sisters. The academy served as both a boarding and a day school, situated where the present church now stands. The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) order provided two decades of religious education and missionary work at the school and parish until 2022. More than 280 St. Alphonsus and Holy Angels graduates have entered religious life over the years.
Today the parish school serves preschool through eighth grade, and the parish continues its sacramental life alongside. Pastor Fr. Colin Parrish serves St. Alphonsus along with the neighboring parishes of St. Benedict and St. John the Evangelist. Born and raised in Seattle, Fr. Parrish grew up in Ballard before his family moved to Stanwood/Camano Island. Though not Catholic as a child, he attended St. Catherine's for K-8 and then O'Dea High School, joined the Navy after graduation, and served three deployments. He converted to Catholicism through a Navy chaplain who was a Catholic priest. The school is led by Principal Nick Padrnos, who joined in 2021 and previously taught high school world history, economics, and theology in Seattle after beginning his career on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
A Mission to Form the Whole Child
The school's mission is dedicated to the formation of the whole child through academic excellence in a welcoming, faith-filled community based on Catholic traditions and values. Family participation is essential to the educational endeavor; parents are the primary educators of their children, and St. Alphonsus is privileged to accompany families in growing together in knowledge, love of God, and service to others. The school vision is to teach as Jesus taught, encouraging each student to reach their God-given potential as grace-filled servant leaders.
Four Schoolwide Learning Expectations shape what a graduate carries out the door. An active faith-filled person prays formally and spontaneously, exhibits basic knowledge of Catholic teachings, participates reverently in the sacramental life of the Church, and contributes time, talent, and treasure through Christian service. A lifelong learner demonstrates critical and analytical skills, creative problem-solving, meets or exceeds grade-level expectations in all disciplines, and creates and evaluates standards for himself or herself. A person of integrity demonstrates accountability, acts honestly and fairly, and chooses to behave in a right and just manner. A respectful person treats people of all cultures and faith traditions with dignity and kindness, practices stewardship of all God's creation, and practices conflict resolution through active listening, clear communication, and empathy.
The Single-Sex Middle School
Beginning in fifth grade, middle school students move to a rotating schedule and see different teachers for each subject. The day begins and ends in homeroom, a time to build executive functioning skills, set learning goals, and bond with classmates. On a typical school day, students have six classes of about 50 minutes and have daily recess before lunch. Nightly homework, especially in math and reading, is part of the rhythm.
In seventh and eighth grades, students attend single-sex classes, a hallmark of the St. Alphonsus approach for more than 20 years. The school explains the philosophy plainly: there are no significant differences between the brains of boys and girls, but there are significant differences in the way boys and girls develop. By reducing the social dynamics of a coeducational environment, the program helps students at this stage build confidence, participate more actively, and reach their full academic potential.
The school has observed specific outcomes from the model. Girls learn to be more academically competitive; boys learn to be more collaborative. Teachers anticipate the typical classroom behavior of a single-sex group and curate procedures and culture accordingly. There are more opportunities to deconstruct negative gender stereotypes and role model positive gender expression. Standardized test scores for girls in math remain on par with their male peers throughout middle school. Most core classes - math, science, and humanities - are single-sex, while enrichment and extracurricular activities combine both boys and girls. The result is what the school calls the best of both worlds: a single-sex academic environment paired with a co-ed social atmosphere.
Sixth graders participate in a three-day Environmental Education Camp at Camp Hamilton. The program connects with the natural world through scientific observation and investigation, Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato si', and the Next Generation Science Standards, developing a personal connection to God's Creation within cooperative learning groups.
Four Houses, One Home
Every middle school student is sorted into one of four houses - two houses for boys and two for girls. Each house elects a Captain and Lieutenant to help plan activities, lead house meetings, and promote virtuous behavior. Teachers award house points throughout the week for acts of Courage, Courtesy, and Contemplation, as well as for being an altar server or lector at school Mass, completing book reviews, memorizing poetry or scripture, and winning house challenges. Points accumulate toward monthly and yearlong competitions, and the House Cup is the trophy every student wants to take home.
The houses were chosen in 2023 when the first student captains selected patrons who lived during the 20th or 21st century and are canonized or on the path to sainthood, so the students could find role models close to their own time.
- Badano House - Blessed Chiara Badano (Feast Day October 29). Motto: Let my life be a light for others. As a teenager in Italy, Chiara loved singing, dancing, tennis, swimming, and hiking. She remained joyful while battling bone cancer and inspired faith in her friends, family, and other patients. She died at age 18 in 1990 and asked to be buried in a wedding dress.
- Casey House - Blessed Solanus Casey (Feast Day July 30). Motto: Pray not for easy lives. Pray to be stronger people. Solanus was born on a Wisconsin farm, joined the Franciscan Capuchins in Detroit, and despite academic struggles was assigned as the monastery porter, where he ministered to the poor, provided spiritual direction, and is said to have cured countless ailments before dying in 1957.
- JPII House - Pope St. John Paul II (Feast Day October 22). Motto: Be not afraid. Born Karol Wojtyla in Poland, the eventual pope secretly studied for the priesthood during the Nazi occupation of World War II. He became the first non-Italian pope in more than 450 years, survived an assassination attempt and famously forgave his attacker, and died in 2014 from Parkinson's disease.
- Vicuña House - Blessed Laura Vicuña (Feast Day January 22). Motto: Let love shine brighter than fear. Laura moved from Chile to Argentina with her mother and, despite abuse, fell in love with the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary. She died in 1904 after extending forgiveness and was praised by Pope John Paul II as a model of purity, sacrifice, and filial love.
A Coherent, Content-Rich Curriculum
The curriculum rests on three pillars: Catholic, Content-Rich, and Coherent. Catholic means Christ is the center and fulcrum of the mission, and the curriculum forms the whole child regardless of religion, culture, or background. Content-Rich means shared knowledge builds year after year into literate readers, writers, and speakers capable of effective participation in wider society. Coherent means learning is sequential and designed for cross-curricular connections, so a topic studied in elementary history can resurface in middle school literature and visual arts.
Every school in the Archdiocese of Seattle participates in standardized MAP testing, and St. Alphonsus students consistently outperform their public-school and Archdiocesan peers in every category. The school is also an Academic Decathlon powerhouse. St. Alphonsus fielded two teams for the first time in 2023-24 and won the regional championship in both 2024 and 2025. Several students earned medals in their subjects, and one student won a national championship in her subject.
Curriculum programs anchor the elementary grades. Literacy Essentials teaches children to read by presenting a thorough, explicit, multisensory explanation of the sound-symbol relationship for the spelling patterns of English, integrated with phonemic awareness, reading with fluency and comprehension, writing, and grammar. Core Knowledge History and Geography is a comprehensive program in world and American history and geography that builds cumulatively and coherently. FOSS Science, the Full Option Science System from UC Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science, is a multisensory experience that engages all learners through active investigation. Go Math! uses a five-step instructional model with embedded formative assessments, and the Walk to Math program sets math classes at the same time across grade levels so a few students from each class can walk up to the next level and meet their individual needs. The Faith and Life Series religion curriculum is integrated with daily prayers, weekly Mass, and age-appropriate community service projects.
Elementary enrichment includes PE, Art, Music, Spanish (beginning in third grade), STEM Lab, and Library. Beginning in fourth grade, students read great books to join what the school calls the Great Conversation - exploring timeless ideas, heroic characters, and enduring truths in classics that teachers rotate each year to keep the reading experience rich.
Middle school enrichment is unusually broad: performing and visual arts, programming, beekeeping, Model UN, and a Walk-to-Math program for gifted students. The school is officially listed on the Wait Until 8th Pledge registry, has earned an A+ rating on Niche, and runs an on-campus teacher housing program that has drawn national attention.
From Early Preschool Through Pre-K
Children ages 2.5 to 5 find a thoughtful sequence in the Early Learning program, and all students must be fully potty-trained by the first day of school. Three full-time lead teachers and three full-time aides maintain a maximum child-to-staff ratio of 10:1.
- Early Preschool (ages 2.5-3) - half-day or full-day, five days a week. Introduces young learners to the joy of school through play, music, stories, and hands-on exploration. Taught by Carissa Person.
- Preschool (ages 3-4) - full-day only, five days a week. Follows the Reggio Emilia philosophy of hands-on projects, experiments, and thematic discussions in a joyful, supportive setting. Taught by Erin Roussell.
- Pre-Kindergarten (ages 4-5) - full-day only, five days a week. Follows Montessori principles, emphasizing child-led learning, independence, and self-discovery in a prepared environment with specialized materials. Taught by Edal Robinston.
The Early Learning day runs 8:15 am to 3:05 pm, with a 2:15 pm dismissal every Wednesday. Hot lunch is available for purchase, and Extended Care runs from dismissal until 6 pm. Specialist classes in Music, PE, and Library are weekly, and early learners perform in the school's winter and spring concerts under the direction of the music teacher.
Elementary Years: Kindergarten Through Fourth Grade
Kindergarten at St. Alphonsus is a balanced program that offers children a daily chance to grow through play and teacher-initiated activities. Children must be age 5 by August 31. The day begins with a morning snack, includes PE, Art, Library, STEM, and Music, and after lunch recess returns to the classroom for a half-hour of quiet time to practice being still and rest. The Kindergarten program is organized for a maximum of 22 students under an Early Childhood certified teacher with a teacher's aide.
St. Alphonsus has one class for each elementary grade, accepting a maximum of 22 in Kindergarten and 24 in grades 1-4. Beyond the core curriculum, elementary students can join the Coding Club, Chess Club, Jr. FIRST Lego League Club, Geography Bee, Spelling Bee, and Christmas and Spring Concerts. Jennifer Blankenship teaches Kindergarten, Presley Neufeld teaches first grade, Tricia Cintron teaches second grade, Liam Braaten teaches third grade, and Claudia Duncan teaches fourth grade.
The Learning Resource Center
Located on the second floor, the Learning Resource Center (LRC) is open to all students each day and serves as a welcoming hub for extended learning and support. The LRC supports a wide range of student needs, including reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, math skills, social and emotional learning, and executive functioning and organization. In addition to academic support, students also have access to onsite services from a licensed speech therapist and a volunteer counselor.
Melissa Chittenden, the full-time Learning Resource Specialist, oversees two main pathways. An IEP (Individualized Education Plan) is a legally recognized plan created through Seattle Public Schools to support students with diagnosed learning needs; private school students are eligible for this process at no cost. Eligible students receive two 45-minute tutoring sessions each week through Spring Academy, held during the school day at St. Alphonsus, with semester progress updates provided to families. IEPs are re-evaluated every three years.
A Learning Support Plan (commonly called a 504 Plan) is a customized plan for students who need academic, physical, or emotional support but do not have an IEP. Plans are created collaboratively by the Learning Resource Specialist, families, teachers, and the student. They are reviewed and signed at the beginning of the year and adjusted mid-year. Students in grades 3 and above who require consistent academic support may opt out of weekly Spanish classes for targeted LRC sessions. Middle school students can also enroll in a weekly after-school Homework Club for guided support.
Arts, Music, and Drama on the Third Floor
Arts education is woven throughout the curriculum at every grade level, taught by certified specialists. Katie Sur has been teaching music at St. Alphonsus since 2008. She holds a Bachelor of Music from UC Santa Cruz and a Master of Music from The Boston Conservatory, and as a former opera singer turned elementary music teacher she directs the school's Christmas and spring concerts. Monica Wisen has taught art since 2011 and has seen all four of her sons graduate from the school.
The Drama Program, run by Maureen "Mo" Mershon since 2022, has a proud tradition of staging spectacular performances. Mo came to St. Alphonsus from Bishop Blancheet High School, where she spent 17 years as Drama Director and earned the Top High School Theatre Award in the Northwest. The middle school has staged Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, State Fair, Annie Jr., The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof Jr., The Music Man Jr., Guys and Dolls Jr., and The Wizard of Oz. The fully equipped theater on the third floor of the school includes professional lighting, sound, staging, and props. The 2026 production is Barbecuing Hamlet, with performances on April 24-26.
A Percussion Ensemble is open to all middle school students - no experience required. They bang on buckets and garbage cans, boom with boomwhackers, build instruments out of PVC pipe, learn about form, and play to current popular music as well as world music. Choir, led by Dr. Andrew Koch, organist and music director at St. Alphonsus Parish, practices during morning recess on Mondays and prepares vocal pieces for school Mass and events.
CYO Athletics and After-School Programs
Athletics are organized through the Archdiocese of Seattle's Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), with St. Alphonsus and St. John School partnering together to form one team. CYO sports are done as one community; individuals and teams strive for greatness in accordance with Gospel values, and success is measured by effort, team play, and fun, not solely by the scoreboard.
CYO offerings include cross country (fall, grades K-8, practices Tuesdays and Fridays at Woodland Park), soccer (fall, grades PK-8, with HappyFeet for PK and K), basketball (winter, grades 4-8, with JV and VAR divisions for middle school), volleyball (spring, grades 4-8, with AA and AAA levels for middle school girls), and track and field (spring). The St. Al/John track and field team has won the All-Team Championship and All-Boys and Girls Championship Titles, with the girls team taking the championship for nine consecutive years. Parents must complete the Parent Like a Champion Today (PLACT) training, and volunteer coaches must complete the Human Kinetics Course, which incorporates faith-based content. Monica Connors serves as CYO Coordinator.
Beyond sports, the after-school program is unusually packed for a small school. STEAM (Grades K-4) blends science, art, and math in a hands-on environment. The Science Club (Grades 4-8), Chess Club (Grades K-8, alternating Thursdays), VEX IQ Robotics Club (Grades 5-8), Stage Stars drama (Grades K-4), Let's Code It coding (Grades 2-8), and Baking Club (Grades 3-8) all meet weekly. St. Alphonsus also partners with Jump on Languages to offer an after-school Spanish program for grades K-5, with Monday and Thursday sessions currently open and a Wednesday waitlist.
Extended Care and Summer Programs
Extended Care is offered Monday through Friday from end-of-day dismissal until 6 pm for preschool through sixth grade. K-6 students are based in the school cafeteria; preschool students are cared for in the full-day preschool classroom at the NW end of the building. Pick-up for both occurs at the NW doors; please ring the doorbell to alert the staff. For 2026-27 the fee is $12 per hour for the first child and 10 percent off for each additional child, with a required $25 registration fee per family. Late pick-ups are charged $1 per minute per child after 6 pm. Extended Care is not provided on noon dismissal or no-school days.
The campus hosts two summer programs. Summer Camps offer hands-on learning and sports for grades K-8, taught by St. Al's teachers and community members, with half-day and full-day options. Summer Day Care is licensed care for preschool and kindergarten students ages 2.5-5, with fun weekly themes and 3-day and 5-day full-day options. Limited space is kept for individualized attention.
Tuition, Affordability, and Giving
For 2026-27, in-parish tuition runs $10,673 for the first K-8 student, $9,072 for the second, $7,471 for the third, and free for the fourth child and beyond. Out-of-parish tuition is $14,428 per student, with the fourth child and beyond free. Sibling discounts are 15 percent off the second in-parish child and 30 percent off the third. Early Learning tuition is $15,160 for full-day preschool (ages 3-5) and $8,533 for half-day Early Preschool, with no sibling discounts or in-parish rates for preschool students.
To qualify for in-parish rates, families must attend Mass regularly at St. Alphonsus, be active in parish ministries and school activities, demonstrate regular contributions through the Sunday envelope or online giving for six months prior to registering, and be formally registered with the parish office.
Financial aid is offered through two programs: Fulcrum Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Grants, which provide $1,350 per K-8 student for 2026-27, and St. Alphonsus School Financial Aid. Families apply through the FACTS Grant and Aid portal with a $35 fee. Applications open October 1 and are due December 31. Current students have priority, followed by St. Alphonsus Parish parishioners, and finally new families.
Beyond tuition, the school raises support through the Annual Fund, the Guardian Angel Legacy Fund Endowment, the Patron of the Arts program supporting drama, the Auction and Gala (the 37th annual, with a Rosé and Gold "Love is in the Air" theme in February 2026), the Jog-a-thon as the only kid-powered fundraiser, the RaiseRight gift card program, and corporate matching gifts. More than 50 companies - from Adobe to Boeing to Microsoft to Starbucks - match employee donations. Stock donations, donor advised funds, IRA gifts, and vehicle donations are all accepted. The school is a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 91-0577481).
The Parents' Club builds and maintains community between home and school. All parents and guardians are automatically members; there is no application or dues. Each family is encouraged to volunteer 30 hours each school year, and grandparents and extended family can volunteer on behalf of a family once Virtus Safe Environment training is complete. A School Commission, chaired by Eric Schudiske, advises the Pastor and Principal on long-range planning, policy, and budgeting.
Faith Life at the School
Faith formation is integrated into every part of school life. Students attend Mass weekly as part of the religion curriculum, with daily prayers and age-appropriate community service projects woven through the day. The school embraces virtue education, daily meditation, and student-led service projects. Monthly Mass is also celebrated as a wider gathering.
The patron saint of the parish and school is St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), a Doctor of the Church and founder of the Redemptorist missionary order, known for his love of learning and the arts, down-to-earth preaching, devotion to Mary and the Blessed Sacrament, and the virtues of humility and perseverance. He was a successful lawyer before becoming a priest, an accomplished writer, artist, poet, and musician, and he composed the famous meditations on the Stations of the Cross still in use today. His feast day is August 1, and he is patron of musicians, artists, writers, poets, philosophers, lawyers, moral theologians, confessors, vocations, and arthritics.
Leadership
Pastor Fr. Colin Parrish was born and raised in Seattle and grew up in Ballard. He attended St. Catherine's for K-8, graduated from O'Dea High School, served three deployments in the Navy, and converted to Catholicism through a Catholic Navy chaplain. He serves as Pastor for St. Alphonsus along with St. Benedict and St. John the Evangelist.
Principal Nick Padrnos joined St. Alphonsus in 2021. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Gonzaga University, a Master of Education from the University of Notre Dame, and a Principal Certificate from Seattle University. His favorite saints are St. George, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, and Servant of God Dorothy Day. He began his career teaching fifth grade on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, then taught high school world history, economics, and theology in Seattle. He is married to a fellow Zag and is the proud father of two young boys.
Vice Principal Sarah Delgado came to St. Alphonsus from San Antonio with her family and brings a wealth of experience from public schools working with a wide variety of learning styles. Melissa Rodriguez-Murphy, Director of Admissions and Community Engagement, joined St. Alphonsus as a parent in 2013 and was hired as the school librarian in 2018. She holds a BA in English from the University of Texas and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from the University of Washington, and she was honored with the Seton Award in 2023.
Melissa Chittenden leads the Learning Resource Center. Maureen "Mo" Mershon directs Drama, Katie Sur teaches Music, and Monica Wisen teaches Art. Greg Anderson teaches Spanish and PE. The middle school faculty includes Laura Smith (5/6 Science), Emma Min (5/6 Math), Shelby Henn (7/8 Humanities, Boys), Jennie Bender (7/8 Humanities, Girls), and Edward Palermo (Math and Technology).