The school’s second location will be called “The Gayle and Tom Benson Good Shepherd School – Giving Hope Campus.”
Students attend the school essentially tuition-free. Good Shepherd’s website says that parents/ guardians of students “pay $125 per year and are required to be involved through a parent time investment requirement and attendance at various GSS community events.” The projected annual cost per student is $14,000, which is funded through fundraising programs and benefactors.
Founded in 2001 by the late Father Harry Tompson, SJ, Good Shepherd has achieved a reputation for academic achievement and a commitment to excellence. According to an article on the Saints’ website, 100% of its high school students graduate, and over 85% of those graduates are pursuing higher education. More than 60 of their 239 alumni are “actively engaged” in pursuing college degrees, marking a significant stride toward their academic and professional goals. Graduates of the school have attended over 25 colleges to date.
The school maintains small class sizes and extended days — students begin at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast and are not dismissed until 4 p.m., “with students participating in an hourlong enrichment period which includes creative activities, art, dance, music, athletics, technology, and academic-related sessions,” according to the school’s website.
Good Shepherd also provides a year-round faith-based education as well as “support and guidance through college and beyond to help break the cycle of generational poverty.”
