Seton Home Study School Announces Change in Leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Front Royal, Virginia, April 20, 2024—Mary Ellen Barrett, Chairman of the Board of Seton Home Study School, has announced that as of April 20, 2024, Dr. Mary Kay Clark assumed the role of Director Emeritus of Seton, marking a new chapter in Seton’s history.

Anne Carroll founded Seton Home Study School in 1982 as an extension of Seton School in Manassas, Virginia, with Thomas Vander Woude, Sr., as the initial part-time Director.  It was soon decided that a full-time Director was needed, and Dr. Clark assumed that role in 1983.

For the past forty years, Dr. Clark has been the inspiration and energy behind Seton Home Study School. Under her leadership, Seton has grown from fewer than 200 students to over 15,000 students today.  With an enrollment of more than 4,500 students in grades 9 through 12, Seton is currently the largest Catholic high school in the United States.  Under Dr. Clark’s direction, Seton has become one of the nation’s largest publishers of Catholic schoolbooks and a main source for educational testing for both homeschool families and traditional schools.

Dr. Clark’s influence extends even beyond Seton as before becoming Director of Seton Home Study School, Dr. Clark was instrumental in founding the state homeschooling organizations of both Ohio and Virginia.  She has also given scores of talks at homeschooling conferences around the United States.

Over the course of her tenure as Director, more than 130,000 students have been enrolled with Seton.  Having touched so many lives, Dr. Clark is surely one of the most influential American Catholic educators of the last half century.  Of Dr. Clark’s change in status, Mrs. Barrett said, “On behalf of the entire Seton community, the Board wishes to express its gratitude for the good work Dr. Clark has done as Director over the last forty years; we look to continue to benefit from Dr. Clark’s wisdom and experience as she assumes her new role as Director Emeritus.”

Kenneth Clark, who has served at Dr. Clark’s side as Seton’s General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer since 1988 and worked as co-director of Seton over the last five years, will assume the office of Director.