St. Bernard Academy

What St. Bernard Academy does

St. Bernard Academy is an independent Catholic K-8 school located in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 1866 by the Sisters of Mercy. The institution serves approximately 385 students across its elementary and middle school programs with 46 full-time classroom teachers, maintaining a 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio and an average class size of 12. Its student body is geographically dispersed, drawing from 30 zip codes across the Nashville metropolitan area, and it employs 56 staff members in total. The school has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School, an external validation of academic performance granted by the U.S. Department of Education.

The school's business model is tuition-funded and it operates as a non-profit institution. Published tuition is $18,375 per year for the 2026-27 academic year. Ancillary programs (aftercare, summer programs, enrichment) likely contribute modest incremental revenue, but tuition is the dominant revenue line. The school uses Veracross as its administrative and school-management platform. In 2021, it joined the Mercy Education System of the Americas, aligning it more formally with the broader Mercy educational mission. In 2016, the campus completed a 16,000 square foot facility expansion.

Leadership is currently transitioning: Dr. Margaret Richards was named permanent Head of School in November 2024. The school is governed by a non-profit board structure consistent with Catholic independent school norms. There is no disclosed VC/PE backing, no public financial filings, and no evidence of meaningful external capital structure beyond tuition revenue and standard philanthropy/endowment activity typical for institutions of this type.

Name

St. Bernard Academy

Legal name

St. Bernard Academy

Website

https://stbernardacademy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1866

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

St. Bernard Academy is an independent Catholic K-8 school in Nashville, Tennessee, serving approximately 385 students with 46 full-time classroom teachers at a 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio, operating on a tuition-funded non-profit model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-8 Catholic Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Independent Catholic school
• K-8 education
• Private elementary education
• Faith-based schooling
• Catholic academic program

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Annual tuition for 2026-27 school year is $18,375 which includes textbooks, lab fees, field trips, and technology equipment. Families can pay via single payment plan, semi-annual plan (July and January), or monthly plan (July through April). A non-refundable $500 enrollment fee is required with the enrollment contract.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

St. Bernard Academy is an independent Catholic co-educational elementary school that delivers a Pre-K3 through 8th grade academic program rooted in the Mercy tradition of the Sisters of Mercy. The school offers rigorous core academics with French and Spanish instruction, supplemented by fine arts, athletics, aftercare, summer programs, student support services, service-learning, and educational travel.

Product overview

St. Bernard Academy is an independent Catholic elementary school serving children in PreK3 through 8th Grade in Nashville, TN. Founded in 1866, the school operates as a single, unified educational institution offering a comprehensive academic program supplemented by fine arts, athletics, aftercare, and enrichment programs. The core academic program emphasizes critical thinking, language skills, and foreign language instruction (French and Spanish), supported by technology integration with Smart Boards in every classroom and mobile device carts. Beyond academics, the school provides a holistic educational experience including fine arts (visual arts, music, theatre), competitive athletics with no-cut policy, student support services, service-learning partnerships with local organizations, and extensive after-school enrichment options including clubs, academic competitions, and international travel programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Program PreK3 through 8th Level academic program emphasizing basic skills, thinking skills, problem solving, and effective use of language, with accelerated courses and foreign language instruction in French and Spanish for students and families seeking rigorous Catholic education.
• Fine Arts Program Comprehensive fine arts education including visual arts (art history and art making with paint, sculpture, clay, photography), music (vocal instruction, percussion, guitar, recorders), and theatre (Nativity Pageant, annual plays, all-school productions) for SBA students and families.
• Athletics Program Competitive, optional, after-school interscholastic sports program for grades K-8 with a no-cut policy including cross-country, football, soccer, golf, basketball, and volleyball, plus physical education classes twice weekly for JK3 through 8th Level.
• Aftercare Program Licensed after-school program open from dismissal until 6:00 PM on school days where students build community, engage in physical activities, and participate in structured and unstructured time for working families.
• Summer Play Days Summer childcare program providing fun, safe, and flexible care throughout the summer months with full-day, half-day, and drop-in options for SBA and area families.
• Student Support Services Comprehensive support services addressing the whole child, including school counselor, learning specialists, and speech-language pathologist, providing Student Support Plans, weekly meetings, assessments, and one-on-one intervention for students requiring additional learning, behavioral, or speech-language support.
• Service-Learning Program Program connecting students' head, heart, and hands through various service projects throughout the year in partnership with Nashville organizations including Catholic Charities, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, Room in the Inn, and St. Luke's Community House.
• Student Exploration Trips Educational field trips and travel programs including local field trips, day trips (Chattanooga Aquarium, Mammoth Cave, Nashville Zoo), sleep-away trips (Land Between the Lakes, Huntsville Space Center), 8th Level Washington DC trip, and international global education journeys.
• Spring Enrichment Programs After-school enrichment opportunities including Lego Science Club, Fencing, Golf, Spanish Club, Theatre Club, Chess, Yoga, Dance, Board Games, and various sports programs offered during the school year for SBA students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small class sizes of 12 students on average with 10:1 student-to-teacher ratio
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mercy Education System of the AmericascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2021On September 17, 2021, St. Bernard Academy was recognized as an affiliated member of Mercy Education System of the Americas, continuing its long legacy of education inspired by Mercy. The partnership includes a signing of a relational covenant and continues the school's tradition rooted in the Sisters of Mercy. Mercy Education System of the Americas unites and serves Mercy education ministries in Argentina, Belize, Guam, Honduras, Jamaica, the Philippines and the United States.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Harpeth Hall School: Independent girls' school in Nashville serving grades 5-12. Functions as both an aspirational peer for SBA families and a documented SBA graduate destination.
• Ensworth School: Premier Nashville-area independent K-12 school serving affluent families. A documented SBA feeder and a benchmark competitor for tuition-paying families evaluating private options.
• University School of Nashville: Large, well-established Nashville independent K-12 school and a documented SBA feeder high school. Competes for similar affluent Nashville families at the upper-grade level and shapes the high-school placement narrative SBA markets.

Direct peers

• St. Pius X Catholic School: Catholic elementary school in the Nashville area offering a comparable faith-based K-8 program. Comparable in mission, grade range, and tuition-supported nonprofit model.
• Christ the King Catholic School: Catholic K-8 school serving Nashville families, directly competing for the same Catholic-education-seeking households in the metro area. Most comparable peer along mission, grade band, and target demographic.
• St. Edward Catholic School: Catholic elementary school in the Nashville diocese offering K-8 education with similar tuition model and parish-affiliated governance. Competes head-to-head with SBA for Catholic and value-driven private-school families.

Emerging players

• Akiva School: Jewish day school in Nashville serving JK-6 students with a faith-based, community-centered model. Comparable in size, faith-based positioning, and tuition-supported nonprofit economics.
• Currey Ingram Academy: Independent K-12 school in Brentwood/Nashville focused on students with learning differences. Competes for a portion of SBA's family pool, particularly those seeking specialized student support services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClAzoOtfD7322seDBm0A0Cw
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-bernard-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 St. Bernard Academy