St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School

What St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School does

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School is a nonprofit Catholic parish school located at 915 Alton Road in East Lansing, Michigan, operating under the Diocese of Lansing. Founded in 1949, the school serves students from preschool through 8th grade, delivering faith-based primary education integrated with academics, athletics, and enrichment programs. The institution reports 4,000+ alumni since founding and is staffed by 15 faculty and staff members, with Diane Grondin appointed principal for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The school's product surface spans core K-8 academics, religious instruction, athletics (including the Jr. Cougar program operated in partnership with Lansing Catholic High School), and a growing set of ancillary programs: hot lunch service, before/after school childcare, summer preschool, private piano lessons, and the TRIP gift card fundraising program. The institution achieved MNSAA (Michigan Non-Public School Accreditation) in 2019 and complies with Michigan Public Act 258 of 2024. Underlying technology consists of off-the-shelf administrative tools — FACTS for tuition management, eCatholic for the school website, Google Workspace, and OrgsOnline for organizational management.

The business model is tuition-driven nonprofit parish school economics, supplemented by ancillary fees and community fundraising. Tuition is collected via FACTS from enrolled families; ancillary programs (childcare at $2/student, hot lunch, piano lessons, summer preschool) generate incremental fee revenue. The TRIP gift card program functions as a fundraising mechanism rather than a core revenue line. Go-to-market is community/parish-driven: families enroll through the parish structure, with applications for the 2026-2027 school year currently being accepted. The school's revenue, enrollment figures, and financial statements are not publicly disclosed, consistent with private nonprofit status.

Name

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School

Legal name

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School

Website

https://stthomasaquinasparishschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Short description

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School is a nonprofit Catholic parish school in East Lansing, Michigan, serving preschool through 8th grade students with faith-based academics, athletics, and enrichment programs under the Diocese of Lansing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-8 Catholic Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Services (61)

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

Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF), Faith-Based Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAE), Faith-Based Childcare Centers (EDACAAAN)

Keywords

• Catholic education
• K-8 academics
• Preschool programs
• After-school care
• Faith-based schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

East Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Payments: Recurring tuition payments processed through FACTS system with multiple payment schedule options including annual, semi-annual, quarterly, or monthly installments
2. Hot Lunch Program: Daily hot lunch provided by Lansing Catholic High School at $4.00 per meal, with extra entrees and a la carte milk available
3. Childcare Services (Tartan Club and PEEPS): After-school care program (Tartan Club) and preschool afternoon care (PEEPS) offered on days school is in session, with registration forms and family agreements required
4. Tuition Reduction Incentive Program (TRIP): Families earn tuition credit rebates by purchasing prepaid gift cards from merchants through RaiseRight platform
5. Piano Lessons: Group piano lessons ($12/week) and individual lessons ($25-30 per session) offered as extracurricular program
6. Summer Preschool Program: Summer program for ages 3-7 with multiple schedule options including part-time and full-time enrollment

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School delivers Catholic faith-integrated education for children from preschool (ages 3-4) through grade 8, with curriculum aligned to Diocese of Lansing standards. The core academic program is supplemented by ancillary paid services including Tartan Club after-school care, PEEPS preschool afternoon care, hot lunch, summer preschool, piano lessons, athletics, and the TRIP tuition reduction program.

Product overview

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School offers a comprehensive Catholic education through multiple interconnected programs. The core offering is the K-8 academic program supplemented by preschool programs for 3 and 4-year-olds with both half-day and full-day options. Additional services include Tartan Club (after school care), PEEPS (preschool afternoon care), hot lunch program, summer preschool, athletics, and piano lessons. The school also facilitates the T.R.I.P. tuition reduction program through RaiseRight gift card purchases. All programs are unified by the school's Catholic mission emphasizing academics, faith, and service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Programs (Kindergarten - Grade 8)
• 3-Year-Old Preschool Program
• 4-Year-Old Preschool Program
• Tartan Club (After School Care)
• PEEPS (Preschool PM Care)
• Hot Lunch Program
• Summer Preschool Program
• Piano Lessons
• Athletics Program
• T.R.I.P. (Tuition Reduction Incentive Program)

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Lansing Catholic High School / Jr. Cougar AthleticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAthletics partnership with Lansing Catholic High School for grades 7-8; Mr. Marcus Kirkpatrick serves as Director of Junior Cougar Athletics. School lunches also provided by Lansing Catholic High School food service.
• Diocese of LansingcoreOthersSTA operates under the Diocese of Lansing with aligned curriculum standards, employment policies (VIRTUS training for volunteers), and tuition assistance programs. Job postings available through diocese careers portal.
• FACTS (Tuition Management)coreTechnology or IntegrationFACTS provides tuition payment processing, financial aid assessment, and family enrollment management for STA. All tuition payments and financial aid applications processed through FACTS portal.
• St. John Food PantryminorOthersMonthly casual dress days in exchange for food donations to St. John Food Pantry, supporting corporal works of mercy in Catholic tradition.
• My Aplus UniformsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary uniform vendor for STA school uniforms, operating online store for Michigan schools. Free shipping on orders over $125, or $50 with code FREESHIP14.
• RBG UniformsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlternate uniform vendor option referenced on school uniform page.
• RaiseRight (Gift Card Program)minorOthersTRIP (Tuition Reduction Incentive Program) uses RaiseRight platform for families to purchase gift cards and earn tuition rebates. Currently seeking a coordinator to manage the program.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lansing Catholic High School: Diocesan Catholic secondary school in Lansing under the same Diocese of Lansing. STA is a direct K-8 feeder into Lansing Catholic, sharing athletics, food service, and the diocesan operating framework.
• Holy Cross Catholic School: Parish-affiliated Catholic K-8 school in the East Lansing Catholic community (same elcatholics.org parish network). Operates with similar preschool-through-grade-8 structure, parish integration, and Diocese of Lansing curriculum standards.
• St. Mary Cathedral School: Diocesan Catholic K-8 school in Lansing sharing curriculum standards, tuition management, and auxiliary program structure with STA. Comparable in scale, faith-based mission, and ancillary service offering.
• Immaculate Heart of Mary School: Catholic parish school in the Lansing area offering preschool through grade 8 with similar faith-based curriculum, athletics, and parish ecosystem. Directly comparable on size, mission, and operating model.
• Resurrection School: Catholic K-8 parish school in the Lansing region under the Diocese of Lansing. Matches STA on grade span, faith-based identity, before/after care, and tuition assistance model.

Regional players

• St. Joseph School: Catholic parish K-8 school in a neighboring Michigan community within the Diocese of Lansing. Comparable faith-based K-8 model with similar preschool, athletics, and parish integration.
• Pewamo-Westphalia Catholic School: Regional Catholic K-8 school in the Diocese of Lansing serving a rural catchment. Comparable on diocesan affiliation, faith-based curriculum, and community-driven operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Trinity Lutheran School: Faith-based (non-Catholic) private K-8 school in the East Lansing area. Competes for the same family segment seeking values-based elementary education outside the public system.

Emerging players

• Greater Lansing Islamic School: Faith-based private K-8 school in the Lansing region. Competes for a narrower niche of families seeking religious K-8 education as an alternative to STA.
• Faith Lutheran Preschool & Kindergarten: Faith-based early childhood and lower-grade program in the Lansing area. Comparable on preschool/early elementary faith-based education, though smaller in grade span than STA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/st.thomasaquinas_tartans/?fbclid=IwY2xjawEh31ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZlsVNjqyK-aEGFHPyYSHze-l2QFKltjmN8wOob-6mFs2hIyYf0X-dRMNQ_aem_8miUTRW3tlO0pT8DpyXjeg

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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. Thomas Aquinas Parish School