Faithful Shepherd Catholic School

What Faithful Shepherd Catholic School does

Faithful Shepherd Catholic School is a private, nonprofit Catholic school serving preschool through 8th grade at a single campus at 3355 Columbia Drive in Eagan, Minnesota. Founded in 2000, the school operates under the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as a tri-parish institution jointly sponsored by St. John Neumann, St. Thomas Becket (both in Eagan), and St. Peter (in Mendota), with parish pastors serving on the Board of Directors. The school is fully accredited by the Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association (MNSAA), and its preschool program (FSCS Discovery Center) holds NAEYC accreditation and Parent Aware designation through a partnership with Lake Area Discovery Center.

The academic portfolio is organized across three tiers: the FSCS Discovery Center preschool for ages 3-5, an elementary program (K-5) featuring differentiated instruction, I Can statements, and a STEM-infused science curriculum delivered via Lab Learner aligned to Next Generation Science Standards, and a middle school program (grades 6-8) built around a 1:1 Chromebook deployment using Google Apps for Education, SMART interactive displays, and PowerSchool gradebook. Academic progress is measured via NWEA MAP testing administered three times per year to grades 2-8. Supporting offerings include a Summer Enrichment Program, athletics through the Catholic Athletic Association, on-site YMCA after-school care, school counseling through Phoenix School Counseling, Art Adventure via the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and a staffed school nurse office.

The school monetizes through annual tuition (K-8 tuition set at $8,098 for 2026-2027), a $50 application fee, $75 registration, $100 activity fee, $170 Chromebook lease, athletics fees ranging $25-$150 by sport, and preschool and summer program pricing. Tuition and financial aid are administered through FACTS Tuition Management, and the school distributes approximately $300,000 in need-based financial aid annually to roughly 25% of enrolled families. Revenue is supplemented by donations and fundraising through the STAR Fund, an annual Fun Run with a $20,000 goal, a Gala for Giving, a Golf Tournament, and an active Home & School Association, alongside a 2025 Capital Campaign for facility improvements. Distribution and admissions rely on direct enrollment through PowerSchool, scheduled personal and virtual tours via Calendly, Information Nights, word-of-mouth referrals from the tri-parish community, and free bus service coordinated with MN School District 196 for in-district families. Leadership comprises Principal James Lalley, Enrollment and Marketing Director Kate Larson, Development Director Tony Yazbeck, and Technology & Curriculum Integrationist Sarah Meier.

Name

Faithful Shepherd Catholic School

Legal name

Faithful Shepherd Catholic School

Website

https://fscsmn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Faithful Shepherd Catholic School is a nonprofit, tri-parish Catholic school (Preschool-8) in Eagan, Minnesota, founded in 2000 and accredited by MNSAA. It serves local Catholic families with faith-integrated academics, a 1:1 Chromebook middle school program, and approximately $300,000 in annual financial aid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-8 Catholic Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF), Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

Keywords

• Catholic education services
• K-8 private schooling
• Faith-based education
• Preschool early childhood
• Parish school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Eagan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Primary revenue source from tuition payments. Grades K-8 tuition is $8,098 for 2026-2027 school year. Families must set up tuition payment plans through FACTS Management system.
2. Registration and Application Fees: One-time new child application fee of $50 per student. Annual registration fee of $75. Chromebook lease fee of $170 for middle school students.
3. Activity and Program Fees: Activity fee of $100 for all enrolled students. Athletics fees ranging from $65-$150 depending on sport. Summer enrichment program offers half-day, full-day, and extended day options. Band and Choir have separate participation fees.
4. Donations and Fundraising: STAR Fund provides current families, alumni, parishes, and broader community opportunity to contribute to funding needs. Multiple annual fundraisers including Fun Run ($20,000 goal), Gala for Giving, and Golf Tournament. Capital Campaign 2025 for facility improvements. Home & School Association organizes fundraising activities.
5. Financial Aid Distribution: School distributes nearly $300,000 annually in need-based financial assistance to families. Approximately 25% of families receive some amount of assistance. Additional scholarship funding through Aim Higher Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Faithful Shepherd Catholic School is a private, faith-based Catholic school delivering preschool through 8th grade education to students in Eagan, Minnesota, under the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The school offers a tri-parish educational program combining rigorous K-8 academics (NWEA MAP testing, Lab Learner STEM science, 1:1 Chromebooks for middle school) with Catholic faith formation, daily prayer, weekly Mass, service learning, and extracurricular athletics, arts, and clubs. Enrollment is supported through tuition ($8,098 for K-8 in 2026-2027), activity fees, and donations, with nearly $300,000 in annual financial aid distributed to qualifying families.

Product overview

Faithful Shepherd Catholic School is a tri-parish Catholic school (Preschool–8th grade) established in 2000, serving the faith communities of St. John Neumann, St. Thomas Becket, and St. Peter. The school operates as a single unified educational institution rather than a platform-with-modules architecture. Its product portfolio centers on three academic tiers: the FSCS Discovery Center preschool (a NAEYC-accredited program for ages 3-5, run in partnership with Lake Area Discovery Center), the Elementary School program (K-5) featuring differentiated instruction and STEM-infused science via Lab Learner, and the Middle School program (grades 6-8) with a 1:1 Chromebook initiative and SMART interactive boards. Supporting offerings include NWEA MAP Testing for academic assessment, a Summer Enrichment Program, School Nurse Services, athletics through the Catholic Athletic Association, and various clubs (Robotics with Dash & Dot and LEGO, Drama, Chess, MakerSpace). The school is fully accredited by the Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association (MNSAA) and operates within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FSCS Discovery Center Preschool Program NAEYC-accredited, Parent Aware-designated early childhood education program for children ages 3-5, operated in partnership with Lake Area Discovery Center. Offers full and part-time programming in a faith-based environment designed to prepare children for kindergarten.
• Elementary School Program (Grades K-5) Elementary academic program for kindergarten through 5th grade students featuring I Can statements, pre-assessments, differentiated instruction, flexible skill-level groupings, and STEM-infused Lab Learner science curriculum aligned with NGSS.
• Middle School Program (Grades 6-8) with 1:1 Chromebook Initiative Middle school academic program (grades 6-8) featuring subject specialists, multiple math and ELA levels, 1:1 Chromebook initiative, SMART interactive boards, Google Apps for Education, and 20 annual service hours. Designed to prepare students for high school transition.
• NWEA MAP Academic Assessment Program Computer-adaptive Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests administered three times per year to grades 2-8 in mathematics, reading, and language usage. Results produce RIT growth scale and percentile scores used to inform instruction and measure student progress over time.
• Summer Enrichment Program Eight-week summer program for students entering grades 1-6 offering themed activities, physical exercise, faith growth, and field trips. Available in half-day, full-day, and extended-day formats.
• School Nurse Services Daily staffed Nurses' Office providing health assessments, allergy management with EpiPens, medication administration, vision and hearing screenings per Minnesota Department of Health guidelines, immunization tracking, and infectious disease management.
• Catholic Athletic Association Sports Program School athletics program coordinated through the Catholic Athletic Association (CAA), offering soccer, volleyball, basketball, track and field, baseball, hockey, golf, and cross country for students in grades 5-8.
• YMCA After School Care Program On-site YMCA after-school care program for enrolled students (2:30-6:00 pm on school days), offering homework support, games, crafts, and outdoor activities in a secure environment. Additional after school option offered Monday/Tuesday/Thursday for grade 5 and up.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $300,000 in need-based financial assistance provided annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lake Area Discovery CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaithful Shepherd partnered with Lake Area Discovery Center to offer its NAEYC-accredited, Parent Aware preschool program (FSCS Discovery Center) for children ages 3-5. Lake Area Discovery Center manages the preschool operations while Faithful Shepherd provides the faith-based environment and prepares children for kindergarten transition.
• Phoenix School CounselingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Phoenix School Counseling provides professional counseling services to students. The school counselor offers individual and small group support for anxiety, depression, life changes, grief, self-esteem, and other social-emotional needs. Services include classroom character education K-8.
• MN School District 196 (ISD 196)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMN School District 196 provides free bus service for students living within district boundaries. Students ride neighborhood school bus to their local school, then transfer to Faithful Shepherd. The district also partners with the school for resources and services for students with IEPs or 504 plans.
• Catholic Athletic Association (CAA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFaithful Shepherd is a member of the Catholic Athletic Association, which has provided Catholic school youth sports opportunities since 1948. CAA coordinates sports including soccer, volleyball, basketball, track, baseball, and more across Catholic schools in the region.
• Home and School Association (HSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent-led Home & School Association organizes fundraising events (Pizza Bingo, Scholastic Book Fair, Catholic Schools Week), coordinates volunteers, supports teachers and staff appreciation, and provides community-building activities. HSA board meets monthly and sponsors numerous school programs.
• Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt Adventure program brought to FSCS by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Volunteers are trained at MIA on themed art pieces, then present 4-5 sessions to K-5 classrooms in November. HSA funds this enrichment program.
• St. John Neumann ParishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three sponsoring parishes. Parish pastor Fr. Tony O'Neill serves as President, Pastor, and Canonical Administrator on the Board of Directors. Parish provides service opportunities and spiritual guidance for students.
• St. Peter ParishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three sponsoring parishes in Mendota. Parish pastor Fr. Steven Hoffman serves on the Board of Directors. Parish provides service opportunities and spiritual guidance for students.
• St. Thomas Becket ParishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three sponsoring parishes in Eagan. Parish pastor Fr. Tim Wozniak serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors. Parish provides service opportunities and spiritual guidance for students.
• YMCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMCA provides on-site School Age Care program at Faithful Shepherd from 2:30-6:00 pm on school days. Program offers secure, engaging environment for students with homework support, games, crafts, and outdoor activities. Space is limited and primarily for elementary students.
• FACTS Tuition ManagementcoreTechnology or IntegrationFACTS Tuition Management provides tuition payment plan processing for families. Families must set up FACTS accounts and payment plans for tuition. FACTS also processes financial aid applications for the school.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationPowerSchool provides enrollment management and gradebook system. Used for online applications, student records management, and parent/student portal for grades 4-8 to view progress and attendance.
• NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association)coreTechnology or IntegrationNWEA provides MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing system used by Faithful Shepherd. Computer-adaptive tests measure student growth in mathematics, reading, and language usage for grades 2-8, administered fall, winter, and spring.
• Archdiocese of St. Paul and MinneapoliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaithful Shepherd operates under the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. School follows Catholic educational standards, participates in Catholic Schools Week, requires Virtus training for volunteers, and maintains Safe Environment compliance through the Archdiocese.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Providence Academy: Private Catholic K-12 school in Plymouth, MN, within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Directly comparable as a faith-based, tuition-driven school serving Twin Cities families with similar academic programs and extracurricular offerings.
• Annunciation Catholic School: Catholic K-8 school in Minneapolis, MN, serving parish families under the Archdiocese. Closely matched in mission, accreditation profile, and elementary/middle school product structure.
• Cathedral School: Catholic K-8 school in St. Cloud, MN, serving the St. Cloud Catholic parish community. Identical product category (faith-based K-8) and explicitly referenced as the prior employer of FSCS's new principal; highly comparable in scale, mission, and operations.
• Nativity of Mary School: Catholic K-8 school in Bloomington, MN, within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Comparable product, customer base, and faith-based educational model serving suburban Twin Cities families.
• Holy Spirit Catholic School: Catholic K-8 school in St. Paul, MN, operated under the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Comparable as a tuition-based, faith-integrated elementary and middle school serving similar Twin Cities families.
• Cretin-Derham Hall: Catholic co-ed school in St. Paul, MN, within the Archdiocese. Directly comparable as a faith-based archdiocesan school, and the receiving high school for FSCS alumni; closely aligned mission and demographic.
• St. John's Catholic School: Catholic K-8 school in Delano, MN, within the Archdiocese. Similar faith-based K-8 model, tuition-driven revenue, and tri-parish-style parish sponsorship structure.
• St. Michael's Catholic School: Catholic K-8 school in the Twin Cities metro area within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Comparable faith-based K-8 offering with similar tuition model and extracurricular programming.

Regional players

• Holy Childhood School: Catholic K-8 school in Mankato, MN, within the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. Comparable faith-based K-8 model but operates in a different geographic region and diocese than FSCS.

Broad incumbents

• ISD 196 (Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools): Public school district that provides free bus transportation to FSCS students. As the primary public alternative in the same catchment area, it represents the largest competitive incumbent for K-8 enrollment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCj8M
• Facebookfacebook.com/286186364024
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/faithful-shepherd-catholic-sch

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Faithful Shepherd Catholic School