SOUTH BEND — Last year, private Christian school Trinity School at Greenlawn underwent a transition after its lease of the Greenlawn campus was not renewed, splitting into two separate and independent schools.
The new school that moved into the Greenlawn facility, Trinity Academy South Bend, has seen high levels of teacher and student retention and recruitment this year. The enrollment at Trinity School, which relocated to a historic building on South Bend’s west side, decreased considerably during the transition, but school leadership says they’re looking to grow over the next few years.
Both schools also emphasized their commitment to providing a quality education that’s affordable.
Enrollment and faculty at Trinity School
While Trinity School’s enrollment has declined significantly compared to before the transition, Head of School Mary Frances Loughran said the smaller size allows the school to be flexible and offer virtually one-on-one instruction.
The school currently has 10 students, she said, but the hope is to grow incrementally over the next few years to reach a total enrollment of 50 to 60 students.
“We want to grow,” Loughran said, “and we’re very excited and enthusiastic about what we’ve seen so far in terms of response to what we have put out there.”
Trinity School’s sixth graders are new this year, Loughran said, but all of the older students came with the school when it moved.
She said the school has nine total faculty members — four full-time and five part-time. Two teachers stayed with Trinity School during the transition; three teachers came back after previously teaching at Trinity School at Greenlawn; and four were new hires, Loughran said.
The faculty numbers are sufficient for now, Loughran said, but more will be needed as the school grows. Next year, Trinity School hopes to hire an additional faculty member and welcome a new head of school, she said, because she’ll be leaving at the end of the school year.
Enrollment and faculty at Trinity Academy
Even in the midst of the transition, Trinity Academy leadership said, the school has seen strong staff and student retention.
According to the school’s 2025 report, this school year, Trinity Academy has a total enrollment of 228 students from 152 families; this includes 174 returning students from 122 families, along with 54 new students from 30 new families. In 2024-2025, the report says, Trinity School at Greenlawn had 233 total students from 154 families.
Head of School John Lee said he wants to keep class sizes small, but he’d also like to see enrollment increase by around 10%.
Leonard DeLorenzo, a Trinity Academy parent and the former chair of the school’s Board of Trustees, added that 75% of the Trinity School at Greenlawn faculty remained and joined the new school. The 2025 report says 19 of the school’s 27 educators returned, and the school welcomed eight new teachers.
“Every school has turnover in their faculty year after year, as people are moving on to different things or moving out of the area,” DeLorenzo said. “… In any given year, this would have been a great year for faculty retention.”
Tuition and financial aid
Loughran said the school prioritizes making a Trinity School education affordable. According to the school’s website, the estimated value of vouchers is $6,500-$7,500, and Trinity School offers its own internal financial aid.
Loughran said the school is lowering its tuition cost in 2026-27; without other fees, tuition for grades 6-8 will be $9,500, while grades 9-12 will be $10,400. With vouchers, families will pay around $3,000-$4,000.
At Trinity Academy, tuition in 2026-27 for grades 6-8 is $15,533 and for grades 9-12 is $16,892, plus books and fees.
The Trinity Academy 2025 report says the school continues to offer financial assistance for families. In 2025-26, 54% of students received financial aid, averaging $4,340 per student.
And 67% of this year’s student body benefits from school vouchers, the report says, with an average voucher amount of $7,012. Next school year, all families living in Indiana will be eligible for vouchers regardless of household income.
“These vouchers are a vital tool for making private education affordable to a large portion of our school families,” the report says, “helping to ensure that Trinity Academy remains both accessible and sustainable while continuing to provide a high-quality educational experience.”
Email South Bend Tribune education reporter Rayleigh Deaton at rdeaton@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Enrollment, tuition at Trinity Academy and Trinity School after split
Reporting by Rayleigh Deaton, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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