How the funding fits
$7,105–$10,540
Every Arizona K-12 student can open an Empowerment Scholarship Account. For the grades St. Thomas Aquinas serves, ADE's latest chart gives $4,718–$6,205 (K) and $7,105–$10,540 (grades 1-12); that chart is labeled 2025-26 (ADE estimate; the 2026-27 chart isn't posted yet), and the exact figure depends on grade and the funding formula for the school the child would otherwise attend. The account can pay tuition at a qualified private school that is set up as a ClassWallet vendor. The state keeps no list of schools that take ESA payments, so ask St. Thomas Aquinas directly.
Takes STO scholarships from: APESF, APSTO, Catholic Education Arizona, IBE, School Choice Arizona (per each STO's published school list, Oct 2026). Each STO decides its own awards, so apply to every one on this list that fits; appearing on a list is not a promise of money. Remember that a child on an ESA contract cannot take an STO scholarship that same year, so this is a choice, not an extra.
The school also has a preschool. The universal ESA starts in kindergarten, so ask about the school's preschool aid and look at DES child care assistance or Quality First scholarships.
Catholic schools in the Valley set tuition parish by parish, and most charge a lower rate to registered, active parishioners, so ask for both figures.
St. Thomas Aquinas is on the Diocese of Phoenix list of Catholic schools. The diocese's own STO is Catholic Education Arizona; the STO line above shows whether this school is on its list.
Check my funding for this school →
What the records show
The U.S. Department of Education's Private School Survey (2023-24) shows the school reporting 458 students, 31.5 full-time-equivalent teachers, a 14.5:1 student-teacher ratio and grades PK-8, with a Catholic religious orientation.
Memberships/accreditation listed by: NCEA. These come from the associations' public directories. A membership is not always accreditation, so confirm the school's current status.
Questions for your visit
- Are you a ClassWallet vendor, and will you bill our ESA directly each quarter?
- What is tuition for my child's grade, and which fees can the ESA cover?
- Which STOs do your families use, and when do their applications open?
- Do you offer parishioner, church-member, sibling or need-based discounts?
After grade 8: nearby schools that keep going
St. Thomas Aquinas ends at grade 8. These schools serve grade 9 through 12 and are among the closest of the same tradition:
- John Paul II Catholic High School: grades 9-12, about 0 mi away
- St. John Paul II Catholic High School: grades 9-12, about 0 mi away · 4 STO lists
- St. John Paul II Roman Catholic High School: grades 9-12, about 0 mi away · 1 STO lists
- Our Lady of the Sun Catholic Church: grades 1-12, about 7 mi away
Nearby schools with profiles
- John Paul II Catholic High School: Catholic School, grades 9-12, 0.2 mi
- St. John Paul II Catholic High School: Catholic School, grades 9-12, 0.2 mi · 4 STO lists
- St. John Paul II Roman Catholic High School: Catholic School, grades 9-12, 0.2 mi · 1 STO lists
- St. Peter's Episcopal Montessori School: Christian School, grades PK-4, 0.6 mi · 2 STO lists
- The Goddard School: Independent School, grades PK-K, 0.7 mi · 2 STO lists
- The Bridge School: Independent School, grades K-12, 0.8 mi
We list 21 private schools in Goodyear, Avondale, Buckeye & the West Valley, and 16 of them are on at least one STO school list.