On North Rosa Parks Way in Portland, Oregon, Holy Redeemer Catholic School has been educating children since 1908. What began as a parish school staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary now serves roughly 300 students from preschool through eighth grade as a diverse, faith-rooted learning community known by its Wildcat mascot. The school sits at 127 N Rosa Parks Way and operates as a ministry of Holy Redeemer Parish within the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.
A School Shaped by Two Religious Communities
Holy Redeemer Catholic School was founded in 1908 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM), a congregation whose charism centers on the full development of the human person through education, social justice, contemplation, and the arts. From 1906 to 2000, the Redemptorist Fathers and Brothers served in ministry with the sisters in leading Holy Redeemer Parish. In 2003, the Congregation of Holy Cross took the helm of the school, and the Holy Cross tradition continues to shape the school's mission today. The community draws inspiration from Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, and the guiding principle carried forward here is his line that "our zeal is always guided by charity. Everything is done with strength and gentleness."
Over more than a century, Holy Redeemer Catholic School has educated thousands of alumni and grown a wide-reaching, deeply rooted community of supporters. It has continually adapted to the changing needs of the surrounding neighborhood and the wider city while remaining committed to providing a Catholic education to every family that desires one. The current enrollment stands at about 300 students, and the school works in close partnership with parents as educators of academics, stewardship, faith, compassion, and leadership.
Mission and Learning Expectations
The school's mission statement is direct: "Inspired by our faith, Holy Redeemer Catholic School is a diverse community committed to academic excellence, prayer, and service." Its philosophy frames education as a shared responsibility among the school, the parish, and families, with Holy Redeemer supporting parents as the primary educators of their children. Every effort is made to provide a Catholic education within a nurturing, respectful environment for the families who desire it.
The community articulates its expectations of students through three School-Wide Learning Expectations. An Involved Christian participates in planning and celebrating school Mass and other prayer experiences, cares for God's creation, and puts Christian beliefs into action. A Safe, Respectful and Responsible Community Member takes responsibility for actions, works to resolve conflicts peacefully, uses gifts for service, and values self and others. A Seeker of Academic Excellence communicates clearly and creatively, uses critical thinking to solve problems, and takes responsibility for learning.
A Day at Holy Redeemer
A typical day at Holy Redeemer begins with morning prayer and announcements, grounding students in faith and gratitude before classes begin. Core academics include language arts, Spanish, math, science, and social studies. Weekly specials rotate between art, music, physical education, and library time, with hands-on science labs at the elementary and middle school levels. Lunch and recess feature healthy meals prepared on site, active outdoor play, and time to connect with friends. Afternoons bring STEM labs, service projects, and hands-on learning, and the day closes with prayer and reflection. The school day runs from 8:00 AM to 3:15 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, with a 2:15 PM early release on Wednesdays.
Early Childhood: Preschool and Pre-K
The early childhood program is designed to nurture the whole child, supporting physical, emotional, social, cognitive, creative, and spiritual development through a blend of play-based and structured learning. Children must be three years old by September 1 and fully potty trained for Preschool, and four years old by September 1 for Pre-Kindergarten. Both full-day and half-day options are available for Preschool, while Pre-K is offered as a full-day program. The curriculum draws on The Creative Curriculum for child-centered, hands-on exploration and Learning Without Tears for multisensory handwriting, early literacy, and fine motor development. Preschool and Pre-K students also take special classes in art, music, physical education, and buddy-program time, attending weekly Mass alongside their fifth-grade buddies every Wednesday.
Elementary School (K-5)
The elementary program covers Kindergarten through fifth grade and offers a vibrant, faith-filled environment with small classes led by experienced teachers and educational assistants. The curriculum follows Archdiocesan standards and provides a strong academic foundation in core subjects, supplemented by weekly specials in art, music, physical education, and hands-on science labs. Each week, students rotate through Spanish, physical education, art, and music, exploring new subjects and broadening their cultural understanding. Religion is taught as a core subject throughout the elementary years.
Middle School (6-8)
The middle school serves students in sixth through eighth grade with subject-specific teachers and a core curriculum aligned with Archdiocesan standards. Weekly classes in art, music, physical education, and science labs enrich the academic experience, encouraging creativity, discovery, and confidence across disciplines. Middle schoolers take individual responsibility for service hours as a long-standing tradition, with classes regularly achieving 100 percent participation in community service. Upon graduation, students are prepared to enter a range of local Catholic and public high schools as well-rounded stewards of their community.
A New Spanish Immersion Path
For the 2026-2027 school year, Holy Redeemer is opening registration for a Dual Language Spanish-English Immersion Program for incoming sixth graders who have completed a K-5 Spanish immersion program in the Portland metro area. The program follows the 90/10 model, with most instruction in Spanish, and offers continuity in bilingual learning with a high academic standard. Students in the program have the opportunity to earn the Seal of Biliteracy on their high school diploma and to accrue world language credits that strengthen their academic profile. The stated goal is for each student to graduate fully bilingual, bicultural, and prepared for a globalized world.
Faith in the School Day
Faith is woven through the school day at Holy Redeemer. Pre-K through eighth grade students attend weekly Mass, with the youngest learners escorted by their fifth-grade buddies on Wednesdays and wearing their school uniforms to match. Older students help plan and celebrate school liturgies, and religion is taught as a core subject at every grade level. Each class also undertakes at least one age-appropriate service project during the school year, and families commit to a set of Fair Share service hours that help sustain parish and school ministries, including St. Vincent de Paul.
Beyond the Classroom and Summer Camp
The school's Beyond the Classroom (BTC) program provides licensed before- and after-school care for children ages three through twelve, divided into Preschool/Pre-K and Elementary groups to ensure age-appropriate programming. Children enjoy outdoor playtime, and elementary students have dedicated homework time and a school-provided snack. Enrichment activities include books, science, art, and cooking, and the program is licensed by Oregon's Early Learning Division with all team members passing fingerprinting and background checks. During the summer, the Wildcat Summer Camp runs from late June through mid-August, offering continued care and enrichment during school break.
Athletics, Arts, and Clubs
Holy Redeemer offers a wide range of extracurriculars to fit a variety of interests. The Holy Redeemer Soccer Club provides competitive play for student athletes, while CYO sports include girls' volleyball, co-ed cross country, girls' and boys' basketball, co-ed Hotshots basketball, and co-ed track and field. In the arts, students in grades three through eight may join the Blue (grades 3-5) or Gold (grades 6-8) choirs, which sing at weekly school Mass and at performances including at the Grotto in December. The orchestra meets after school on Wednesdays for string players, and private music lessons are available in piano, cello, violin, guitar, and voice for K-8 students. The Pep Band, open to students in grades four through eight, meets on Tuesdays after school. Art Club welcomes students in grades three through eight for free art and technique guidance, and the STEM Club meets on Mondays for middle schoolers and Tuesdays for grades three through five, with trimesters focused on medical health, engineering, and coding and robotics. Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) introduces students in grades three through eight to a wide range of literature through a statewide reading motivation program.
School Lunch and Wellness
The school's food service department prepares fresh, nutritious, well-balanced meals on site every school day, following the standards of the National School Lunch Program and the Oregon Department of Education. A daily offering of milk, fresh fruit, vegetables, grains, and hot entrées aligns with the school's wellness policy and uses Buy American products. The school participates in the federal Free and Reduced-Price Meal program, and families may apply for assistance based on federal income guidelines, with Holy Redeemer noting that eligibility is determined solely by the federal standards. Monthly lunch menus are published online.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For the 2026-2027 school year, full-day Preschool and Pre-K tuition is $10,032 annually, with a half-day Preschool option at $5,317. K-8 tuition for parish members is $9,410, with a non-subsidized rate of $10,957. A 2 percent discount is available for families paying in full by June 19, 2026. A family enrollment fee of $425 applies, along with a technology fee of $125 (K-5) or $200 (grades 6-8). Financial aid is available for K-8 applicants based on demonstrated need, with applications processed through FACTS and a January 31 deadline for priority consideration. Holy Redeemer also accepts the Oregon Employment-Related Daycare (ERDC) subsidy for Preschool, Pre-K, and BTC programs, and the school partners with the Children's Scholarship Fund of Oregon to make Catholic education accessible to K-8 students transitioning from public schools.
Admissions and Tours
Applications for the 2026-2027 school year opened on November 1, with priority consideration given to those submitted by February 1. First-round decisions are released in mid-March, with rolling decisions following in late March and beyond. Applicants complete an online form, submit a recent photo, educational assessments (if applicable), a Confidential Student Evaluation Form, a parent questionnaire, and a copy of the child's birth certificate. K-7 applicants also schedule a campus tour and a shadow visit day; kindergarten visits last an hour, first- and second-grade visits are half days (8:00 AM to 12:00 PM), and visits for grades three through seven are full days (8:00 AM to 3:15 PM). Tours are led by Middle School Wildcat Ambassadors and last about an hour, offering families a student's-eye view of daily life.
Family Engagement and the Parent Club
Family involvement is a hallmark of Holy Redeemer life. The Parent Club, made up of all HR parents, meets on the second Tuesday of each month and supports the school through educational endeavors, social activities, and fundraising. Each family commits to a set of Fair Share service hours - 30 for two-parent families, 15 for single-parent families - covering classroom help, parish support, Parent Club work, coaching, decorating, and St. Vincent de Paul service. Hours are recorded through the FACTS Family Portal, and any unrecorded hours by June 30 are billed at $50 per hour. Parent Club chairs Krissy Darmody and Kim Bastable lead a roster of coordinators overseeing everything from the Spirit Store to the Lenten Fish Fry and the annual Monster Mash.
Annual Events and Fundraisers
Holy Redeemer's largest fundraiser is the Annual Dinner and Auction, held each February, followed by the Jog-a-thon in the fall, a long-standing tradition in which students earn pledges by jogging, walking, or "running wild" around campus. Other annual highlights include the Lenten Fish Fry, hosted in Cantwell Hall on three Friday evenings during Lent; the McDonald's Night partnership at the MLK Boulevard location; the Monster Mash Halloween celebration; the Holy Redeemer Talent Show; the Charleston Gift Wrap holiday fundraiser; the Spring Plant Sale in partnership with the Peninsula Optimist Club; the Scholastic Book Fair; and the Caregiver Book Group for parents. The Annual Business Sponsor Program invites local businesses to support tuition assistance through platinum, gold, silver, bronze, and Wildcat sponsorship levels.
Governance and Leadership
The school is led by Principal McPheeters, and a School Advisory Council (SAC) made up of parent and community members meets monthly from September through June on the first Wednesday of the month. The SAC guides the school administration through research, long-range planning, budget advisement, and policy recommendation, with members serving three-year terms. The school also employs a full-time Child Protection Program Administrator who coordinates background checks and required training for all volunteers through the Archdiocese's Praesidium Academy. Open positions currently include an Event Office Assistant and an Aftercare Supervisor.
A Lifelong Wildcat Community
For many Holy Redeemer families, the connection spans generations: parents who once walked these halls as students now enroll their own children, and grandparents remain active participants in school life and events. Alumni are invited to stay connected through biannual newsletters, alumni events, service days, and networking mixers, and they are encouraged to give back through mentorship, volunteering, and financial support. Holy Redeemer Catholic School is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization (Federal Tax ID 93-0964356), and gifts are tax-deductible. As the school community marks more than 117 years of faith and learning in North Portland, its mission remains the same one articulated at its founding: to nurture the whole person - academically, spiritually, and socially - in a diverse, faith-filled community where each child is known, loved, and challenged to grow.