June 29, 2016
Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional Catholic School will expand its existing pre-K program thanks to a $60,000 grant awarded Wednesday by the Philadelphia School Partnership.
Enrollment at Our Lady of Port Richmond has grown by double-digit rates nearly every year since 2013, including a 30-percent jump last year. The school currently serves 406 students in pre-K through eighth grade.
The grant aims to help the school increase its total enrollment by 40 students by expanding its pre-K program and fund special education curricula and response-to-intervention materials. It also will help the school renovate classrooms.
As part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Our Lady of Port Richmond provides a faith-inclusive education. About 62 percent of its students receive financial aid.
“We’ve made significant progress in recent years, and this grant will help us to even better serve our families,” Principal Sister Mary Ripp said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to grow our school and provide the high-quality, well-rounded education all of our children deserve.”
The nonprofit Philadelphia School Partnership has invested more than $53 million in Philadelphia private, charter and district schools since 2011.
"OLPR puts students on a path to college and career readiness from a young age," PSP Executive Director Mark Gleason said in a statement. "Sister Mary Ripp and the Our Lady of Port Richmond team have a strong growth plan to expand their impact on students and the community, and we are proud to support them.”
