Our Admissions Process

Applications to SRNS for the current school year are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications for the next school year are accepted during registration, which starts in mid-January and continues throughout the year. The date for when registration opens can be found on the home page of the SRNS website. Contact Julie Cress with any questions about the application process at 301-762-2143.

Ways to visit St. Raphael Nursery School

• Tours are available Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. and typically last 30 minutes unless alternative arrangements are made.
• St. Raphael Nursery School hosts an annual open house in mid-October and mid-January. The date for the open house can be found on the SRNS homepage and the Admissions page.

Admissions process steps

• Review the class offerings available for our 3's, 4's, and 4-Plus programs.
• Complete the online application on FACTS, and pay a $200 non-refundable application fee per student.
• Receive an acceptance letter from St. Raphael Nursery School.
• Enroll student in FACTS, our admissions and tuition-management system; pay two months’ tuition deposit, which is applied toward September and May; complete the tuition agreement for remaining balance.
• Submit health forms to the school nurse prior to the start of school.

* Registration for the 2025-26 school year opens November 1st, 2024.

If you have questions regarding our admissions process or our class offerings, contact Julie Cress at 301-762-2143.

Criteria for admission

St. Raphael Nursery School gives admissions preference to Catholic students who are members of St. Raphael Parish, then to Catholics from other parishes, and, space permitting, to all others. All children must be potty trained by the start of school in September.

Children with special needs will be admitted if, with reasonable accommodations on the part of the school, they can function in the school environment. Children will be conditionally accepted and status will be re-evaluated if the need arises.

Order of acceptance

• Children returning for another year at SRNS and children of SRNS faculty
• Children of SRNS board members who have served for at least eight consecutive months
• Siblings of returning children and siblings of alumni children of SRNS
• Children of SRNS alumni who have been contributing parishioners, through parish offertory envelopes, of St. Raphael or another parish in the Archdiocese of Washington for at least one year
• Children of SRNS alumni who have been contributing parishioners, through parish offertory envelopes, of St. Raphael or another parish in the Archdiocese of Washington for less than one year
• Children who have never attended SRNS, whose parents are registered parishioners of St. Raphael or another parish in the Archdiocese of Washington for at least one year; the parents must be contributing parishioners through the parish offertory envelopes
• Children who have never attended SRNS, whose parents are registered parishioners of St. Raphael or another parish in the Archdiocese of Washington for less than one year; the parents must be contributing parishioners through the parish offertory envelopes.
• Transfers of former SRNS students
• Non-Catholic children

For additional details about our admissions process and criteria, refer to the SRNS Handbook, which can be found on the Handbook and Health Forms page.