Elem. Catholic school named number one

OLEAN, N.Y. (WIVB) - A Catholic school is celebrating high honors Tuesday night. That's because they've been ranked number one.

Every year Business First evaluates nearly 300 public and private elementary schools in the eight counties of western New York. Southern Tier Catholic is the first school from outside of Erie County to rank number one.

Inside Southern Tier Catholic in Olean, students and staff are excited. In three short years, the school rose from 31 to the top spot on Business First's elementary school ratings.

Principal Daniel McCarthy said, "I think the main reason it happened is we have teachers and parents working together to develop the talents of the children."

The school is tiny, with only 150 students from Pre-K to eighth. Despite limited resources, more than half of its fourth graders achieved superior scores on the statewide tests.

Heather Piatt, a parent, said, "It's a challenge everyday, but the teachers make it so fun and engaging for children that they don't even realize they are being schooled."

Fourth grade teacher Nancy Crawford added, "I think it's a great tribute to our students parent and teachers."

After three years on top, Smallwood Elementary moved down a peg, but nobody here is complaining. While the fifth grade is excited about its upcoming performance of "Alice in Wonderland," the school community is celebrating its ranking as the number one public elementary school on the list.

Principal Daniel Lewis said, "Well, the credit belongs to the teachers, they're professionals. I think our success comes down to what happens in the classroom on a daily basis."

Clearly at Southern Tier Catholic, the hard work paid off. The hope here is that the top ranking will foster an appreciation for Catholic education.

Veteran school teacher and administrator Luella Potter said, "You have to teach students to be proud of school and pride in themselves. If you instill in a child hope and pride, you've conquered the problem."

Rounding out the top five in the rankings are public schools, including Maple East Elementary in Williamsville, Charlotte Avenue in Hamburg and Ledgeview in Clarence. For a complete list, follow this link .