Catholic school teaches charity.

Byline: FACES AND PLACES by The Register-Guard

School: St. Paul Catholic School, 1201 Satre St., Eugene

Grades: Kindergarten through eight

History: St. Paul Parish and school began as a mission of St. Mary's Church in the early 1950s, when 26 acres was purchased in north Eugene. In 1956, the congregation gathered in its first home, which consisted of two classrooms and an area for church services. Classes began that fall for grades first to fourth; by 1960, the school served grades K to eight.

The school was expanded over the years, and a new church opened in 1967. The original parish hall/gymnasium was destroyed by fire in 1979, but was rebuilt and expanded the following year. Thanks to a capital campaign that began in 1995, two new classrooms were opened in 1997, and a new Parish Center opened in 2000. The school uses space in the center for piano instruction and special events.

Principal: Jerry Ragan

His background: Ragan was born in Brooklyn and attended Catholic schools all his life. He's worked in Catholic schools since 1976, including 14 years at Marist High School. He's been principal at St. Paul for nine years.

Enrollment: 243

Capacity: 264

Student demographics: Slightly more than 80 percent of the students are Catholic, and a similar percentage are white. The remainder are Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander or multiracial.

Poverty rate, based on the number of students qualifying for free or reduced price meals: About 10 percent.

Where graduates go: In the past five years, almost 94 percent of St. Paul graduates went on to Catholic high school.

Number of teachers: 17

Total number of school employees: 27

Admission policies: All students are welcome, but priority is given to students who belong to the parish and/or have a sibling enrolled. The parish provides an annual subsidy to the school for students of parishioners; some neighboring parishes do the same.

Class sizes: A maximum of 24 in kindergarten and 30 in grades one to eight.

Academics: In addition to a rigorous program in all basic subjects, St. Paul offers music and computers in grades one to eight, Spanish in grades seven and eight, physical education in all grades and additional reading instruction in primary grades. Students in grades three through eight take the Stanford Achievement Test annually.

Service programs: St. Paul hosts about 40 homeless people in its gym for 10 days over the Christmas holidays as part of the Interfaith Shelter program, with students contributing food, personal items and gifts. The students also write letters, design paper ornaments and provide small gifts to prisoners in the Lane County Jail.

During Catholic Schools Week in late January, students contribute food for needy families. Also this month, students are raising funds for Project Starfish, a Lenten program that helps homeless families get into housing and stabilize their lives through social services from various agencies. St. Paul has contributed $56,000 to the program in the last seven years.

Other projects include canned food, newspaper, can and bottle collections; end-of-year donations of school supplies; music performances at retirement homes; required individual service projects for seventh- and eighth-graders; and a once-a-year fast by eighth-graders and some adults to raise funds for the relief of world hunger.

What's special about the school: "St. Paul School is a community characterized by a true partnership between staff and parents in an effort to provide students with a quality, well-rounded education that is given meaning through a shared faith which calls all of us to act in service to others," Ragan says.

Namesake: St. Paul the Apostle, the great writer of the New Testament Epistles, "Apostle to the Gentiles" and the scholar who helped establish the early Christian Church in parts of the Roman Empire.

Mascot: The Saints

Colors: Green, gold and white

Accreditation: Northwest Association of Accredited Schools and the Western Catholic Education Association

Tuition: $2,995 for students of St. Paul or other sponsoring parishes, otherwise $3,645. Tuition assistance is available to families who qualify.

Web site: www.saintpaul-school.org

Upcoming events: Three-school Mass with Marist and O'Hara for Catholic Schools Week, 9 a.m., Jan. 28 at Marist.

- Anne Williams

CAPTION(S):

Marcus Saraceno works during a bake sale at St. Paul Catholic School in Eugene, which raises money for Project Starfish, one of the school's many community service projects.