Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School

What Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School does

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School is a private, diocesan-affiliated K-8 institution founded in 1963 and located in Richmond, Virginia, operating under the Diocese of Richmond Catholic Schools. The school enrolls approximately 350 students drawn from 1,800 registered families across 38 zip codes and is supported by roughly 133 employees. Its product is a faith-integrated liberal-arts and pre-secondary education that delivers the diocesan curriculum, with signature programmatic features including a four-House student culture system, the Amazing Shake external competition, dedicated art and music instruction, and physical education in a newly expanded gymnasium.

The underlying technology footprint is intentionally minimal and commodity in nature: the school uses FACTS/RenWeb for student information and tuition management, NWEA MAP for benchmark assessments, Google Classroom for instructional delivery, and STOPit for safety reporting. There is no proprietary platform, no in-house AI/ML capability, and no research or patent output in evidence. Recent capital investment has been physical rather than digital, including a $4.2 million new wing completed in 2025 (gymnasium, art and music classrooms) and Spring 2021 installation of solar panels now supplying over 90% of facility electricity.

The business model is a tuition-and-donations hybrid. Tuition is the largest single revenue stream but covers only about 72% of actual operating cost; the remainder is bridged by an aftercare program, a summer camp, parish and diocesan support, individual donations, EISTC scholarship funding, and corporate sponsorships. Pricing is per-pupil and is set within the diocesan framework rather than via market-rate optimization. The customer base is exclusively consumer (B2C), composed of individual Catholic and faith-aligned families, with no enterprise, government, or institutional purchasers. Outcomes tracked include 95%+ family retention (the highest in school history) and 97% of 8th graders receiving acceptance to a top-choice high school.

Name

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School

Legal name

Our Lady of Lourdes School

Website

https://lourdesrva.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Our Lady of Lourdes is a private K-8 Catholic school in Richmond, Virginia, founded in 1963 and operated under the Diocese of Richmond, serving approximately 350 students drawn from 1,800 registered families through a faith-integrated academic program with auxiliary aftercare and summer-camp offerings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Catholic K-8 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM), School-Age Wraparound Childcare Centers (Holiday/Break Care) (EDACAAAL)

Keywords

• Catholic education
• Private K-8 school
• Elementary education
• Middle school education
• Before and after care

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Primary revenue stream from tuition payments. Tuition covers approximately 72% of the actual cost of a Lourdes education, with the remainder funded through donations.
2. Aftercare Services: Before and after school care program providing extended childcare services for students JK through Grade 8. Morning care is free; afternoon care is a paid service with annual and per-week pricing options.
3. Summer Camp Programs: Summer camp programs offered for elementary students (rising K through rising 5th grade) with various themed camps throughout the summer.
4. Donations and Annual Fund: Donations support access to Lourdes education. The school offers various giving options including annual appeal, athletics, general needs, monthly giving (St. Thomas Aquinas Society), and designated gifts.
5. Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit (EISTC): Virginia tax credit program where donors receive Virginia tax credits for 65% of donations to approved scholarship foundations, plus state and federal charitable deductions.
6. Corporate Sponsorships: Business sponsorships at Gold ($3,000), Silver ($2,000), and Bronze ($1,000) levels with benefits including publication recognition, social media features, event recognition, and website placement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School provides private Catholic education for students from Junior Kindergarten through 8th grade, serving approximately 350 students from 1,800 registered families across 38 zip codes in the Richmond, Virginia area. The school delivers core academic programs (JK, elementary K-5, middle school 6-8 with high school credit offerings), enrichment programs such as the House System, athletics and clubs, as well as ancillary paid services including the BASIC before-and-after school care program and Summer Camp at Lourdes.

Product overview

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School is a private Catholic school serving approximately 350 students from Junior Kindergarten through 8th grade. The institution operates as a unified educational program with a comprehensive portfolio of offerings: core academic programs (Junior Kindergarten, Elementary School K-5, Middle School 6-8) supported by academic support services; enrichment programs including The Amazing Shake, House System, athletics, and various clubs (over 25 teams and programs); and care services including Before and After School Care (BASIC) and Summer Camp. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association and was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2011.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Junior Kindergarten Program A kindergarten preparatory program for children 4 years old by September 30, fostering whole-child development through age-appropriate, hands-on learning with a maximum capacity of 16 students per class.
• Elementary School (K-5) Private elementary education maintaining high expectations with differentiated instruction and flexible ability grouping, serving approximately 18-23 students per classroom.
• Middle School (6-8) Private middle school with departmentalized block schedule offering high school credit opportunities in Earth Science, World History, Spanish I & II, Algebra I, and Geometry.
• Before and After School Care Program (BASIC) Licensed childcare program regulated by the Virginia Department of Education, open to students JK through Grade 8, with morning care from 7am at no additional charge and aftercare until 6pm with annual and per-week pricing options.
• Summer Camp at Lourdes Six-week summer camp program for elementary students (rising K through rising 5th grade) featuring themed camps including STEM Explorers, Saints and Superheroes, Mission Possible, Outdoor Adventure, Arts Around the World, and Camp Carnival.
• Academic Support Services Comprehensive student support including Reading Specialist (using Science of Reading method), Math Specialist, ELL Specialist, and Director of Student Support providing intervention and enrichment programs.
• Athletics Program Comprehensive sports program including soccer (grades 1-8), running club, cross country (grades 3-8), track and field (grades 5-8), basketball (elementary through middle school), flag football (grades 2-8), and access to Middies Program for football, lacrosse, volleyball, baseball, and field hockey.
• Clubs and Enrichment Programs Over 25 teams and programs including Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Band (4th-8th grade), Choir (5th-8th grade), Robotics (5th-8th grade), Lego Club, and Yearbook (7th-8th grade).

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of 8th graders accepted to one of their top choice high schools
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Latino Enrollment Institute (LEI) at University of Notre DamecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOur Lady of Lourdes was selected as a member of the 12th cohort of the Latino Enrollment Institute at Notre Dame. LEI is a year-long formation program providing Catholic schools with marketing strategies and school culture interventions to better attract and serve Latino families. The program includes a summer conference at Notre Dame and monthly Zoom meetings with other principals in a cohort model. Lourdes is part of 38 schools nationwide from 26 (arch)dioceses.
• Middle States AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccreditation body that has been helping school leaders establish and reach goals, develop strategic plans, promote staff development, and advance student achievement for over 130 years. MSA supports and recognizes faith-based schools fulfilling their missions under specialized faith-based traditions and values.
• Diocese of Richmond Catholic SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOur Lady of Lourdes is part of the Diocese of Richmond Catholic School system, following the curriculum set by the Diocese and receiving support from the Office of Catholic Schools.
• Our Lady of Lourdes ParishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected to the parish church by a covered canopy. Students attend Mass with the parish weekly. Parish supports school community and families through Human Concerns ministry.
• Fine Metal VectorminorOthersGold level corporate sponsor for 2025-26, supports various school programs and events.
• Reliable PaymentsminorOthersSilver level corporate sponsor for 2025-26, supports various school programs and events.
• Call Repair EdminorOthersBronze level corporate sponsor for 2025-26, supports various school programs and events.
• National Catholic Education AssociationminorOthersActive member of NCEA supporting Catholic education nationally.
• Virginia Catholic Education AssociationminorOthersActive member of VCEA supporting Catholic education in Virginia.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Steward School: Independent JK-12 day school in Henrico County (Richmond metro). Comparable in offering and geography, competes for tuition-paying families seeking college-preparatory private education locally.
• St. Catherine's School: Independent girls' day school (JK-12) in Richmond. Adjacent peer competing for the same family demographics in the Richmond private-school market, particularly for middle-school households.
• Collegiate School: Premier independent JK-12 day school in Richmond. Competes for the same tuition-paying families seeking private, college-preparatory education in the Richmond metro, with broader scale and a longer-established brand.
• St. Christopher's School: Established independent boys' day school (JK-12) in Richmond. Competes for tuition-paying Richmond families across the private-school segment, especially at the upper-elementary and middle-school tiers.

Others

• Niche: School-rating and discovery platform cited by OLL as a 'Best Schools' award source. Functions as an ecosystem-level distribution and credibility channel that materially shapes private-school admissions in the U.S.

Direct peers

• Trinity Episcopal School: Independent faith-based private school serving JK-8 in the Richmond market. Directly comparable in target customer (values-driven Richmond families), grade span, and small-class-size value proposition.
• All Saints Catholic School: Catholic K-8 school in the Richmond area under the Diocese of Richmond. Comparable faith-based, JK-8 offering to local families; noted in the OLL dataset as the prior school of ASCS Teacher of the Year honoree Maureen Detrick.
• St. Bridget's Catholic School: Catholic K-8 school in Richmond, VA also within the Diocese of Richmond. Most directly comparable peer — same faith tradition, same grade span, same diocese, and Bridget Nilsen (now OLL's Interim Principal) previously taught there.

Regional players

• Norfolk Academy: Large independent day school (PK-12) in Norfolk, VA. Comparable in operating model (private, college-prep, faith-tied heritage) but in a different Virginia metropolitan market; useful as a regional private-school benchmark.

Emerging players

• Veritas School: Independent classical Christian school in Richmond. Competes for values-driven families seeking private K-12 education in the same metro with a different pedagogical framing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LourdesRVA
• Instagraminstagram.com/lourdesrva
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lourdesrva

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School