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Aug. 17, 2006
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Racine, Kenosha planning
future of Catholic schools |
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Accessibility, affordability concerns for task forces |
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RACINE — What is the future for archdiocesan Catholic schools? That question can be asked with apprehension as some fear the Catholic school system’s demise is imminent, and are looking for something or someone to blame.
Some place responsibility on the shoulders of government, others talk of “changing times” and pluralism, still others blame the economy and the shrinking tax base.
Whatever the reason for the lagging attendance and financial distress, Catholic education task force members in Racine and Kenosha are counting upon support from parents and the community to maintain a Catholic school system.
In conjunction with Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan’s program of “Strengthening Catholic Education and Lifelong Faith Formation,” districts within the Milwaukee Archdiocese are taking steps to ensure that Catholic grade and high schools are accessible and affordable.
Racine’s collaborative effort
Catholic pastors in the 11-parish Racine community recently formed the Task Force for Catholic Education. Initially intended to deal with effects of the priest shortage, the committee is working to bring parishes into closer collaboration, said Diana Lesnjak, principal at St. Rita Elementary School.
“All parishes east of I-94 in Racine County have been invited to become part of the process in District 2,” she said. “All together there are eight parishes with schools that are to be directly involved, but not all eight will be active in the process.”
In a recent St. Rita parish bulletin, Augustinian Fr. Joseph Stobba explained the task force was formed because some parishes couldn’t maintain a school.
“The task force conducts its affairs with these assumptions,” he wrote. “The plan needs to be financially feasible and cost effective. High quality academic and faith formation must be equal to or better than what currently exists. The blueprint must provide stability and growth to serve the entire community.”
Centralization proposed
The task force plans to centralize Catholic education in the Racine area, and schools involved in the committee agree to adhere to all of the changes in the accepted model. Some changes might include staff and administration, possible relocation of students to other buildings, and curriculum and tuition changes.
According to Mike Sucharda, newly-appointed chairman of the committee, members are seeking scenarios to fit the community’s needs through a five-committee team: financial, education, facility, governance and communication.
“We are looking at different proposals for the group to look at, and ultimately decide where they want to go,” he said. “Our primary goal is to provide stronger Catholic education in the K-8 grades in the Racine-Sturtevant area and position it for the next 50 years.”
Rising costs, shifting population
Sucharda cited increasing costs and population adjustments as reasons that the task force is necessary.
“We wish to provide a quality education and expand it, perhaps with changing the ways we teach some types of curriculum that we offer to the kids,” he said. “We have a couple of immediate needs, such as jobs — change is difficult and the smaller parishes have the financial burden of smaller schools and it will be difficult for them in moving ahead with the grand plan. We are trying hard to look at these, not as schools, but as classrooms needed to service the existing and growing Catholic community.”
Although the final plans will be presented to the archbishop for his approval in mid-December, changes will not be instituted until the 2007-2008 school year. Sucharda admitted his primary goal is not a one- or two-year fix.
Enrollment concerns in Kenosha
According to Fr. Don Thimm, pastor of St. Anne Parish in Pleasant Prairie, four representatives from each parish in Kenosha and Pleasant Prairie serve on the Kenosha Catholic Education Task Force. St. Joseph High School and Inter-Parish Junior High also have representatives.
“This process started with the pastors identifying enrollment declines and financial issues in several schools last November, which prompted a focus on Catholic education rather than parochial/parish Catholic education,” Fr. Thimm said. “Parish councils and school boards were invited to a December meeting with four representatives who concurred with the urgency.”
No ‘business as usual’ in 2007-2008
Working with members of the community, the task force seeks to provide quality and affordable Catholic education in the Kenosha community.
“The future of Catholic education should be clarified by the work of the task force and its committees and their conversations with the parishes and St. Joseph High School and Inter-Parish Junior High,” said Fr. Thimm. “It is highly unlikely that it will be ‘business as usual’ for the 2007-2008 school year. All schools are open for the 2006-2007 school year.”
According to Bob Kazmarek, chairman of Kenosha’s task force, the educational program committee is looking at classroom sizes, as well as determining the grade level designations, such as seventh and eighth grade junior high, or a sixth through eighth grade middle school.
“We are also looking at where we are versus where we hope to be,” he said. “Cost effectiveness is one thing and that is important, but it is not the most driving priority. Very important is to look at relationships with combined services, including host parishes and agreements with parishes.”
Issues such as suitable buildings for school space, resources, such as teachers and other staff, are among the task force’s concerns.
“The finance committee is looking at rents, fee structures for the grades and if we should have different fee levels for the lower grades than high school,” Kazmarek said.
Bringing a workable solution to the families in Kenosha who utilize or wish to utilize Catholic education is important for sustaining Catholic faith, Kazmarek said.
“It adds to the vibrance of the community,” he said. “We do need to do something to make sure Catholic education is available to our citizens, is cost effective and meets their needs. I know people talk about cost — but we need to think about the projected outcome of our efforts.”
Burlington schools ‘thriving’
While many larger communities struggle with decreased enrollment and financial hardship, some rural areas and smaller community Catholic parishes with schools seem to survive and, in some cases, thrive.
A community of approximately 10,000, Burlington has two Catholic grade schools, St. Mary and St. Charles, and one Catholic high school, Catholic Central.
Sr. Margaret Pietsch, principal at St. Charles, said the two elementary schools are doing well.
“I don’t see any problems with having to consolidate our schools in the near future, maybe not even in my lifetime,” she said. “Our main issue that will affect us down the road will be the priest shortage.”
Sr. Margaret acknowledged that with the priest shortage, a merging of parishes and schools may be an issue in about 10 years, but for now, thanks to a tuition grant, many families are able to afford Catholic school education in the Burlington area.
Foundation provides key support
“We are very blessed here,” she said. “First of all, we have a strong Catholic community supporting our schools. Secondly, the Rewald Foundation, established years ago, provides tuition grants for families who choose to send their kids to private schools.”
The foundation includes private education for the Catholic schools and St. John’s Lutheran School in Burlington.
“Mr. Rewald was a member of St. Charles Parish and he left a major donation, a trust for the three private schools and it will be there forever,” she said. “I do think that this has had a major impact in families being able to continue accessing Catholic education.”
With approximately 135 families attending St. Charles Grade School, Sr. Margaret estimates that between 60-65 families directly benefit from the tuition assistance.
“This really shows that what we really need is for a lot of Catholic schools to encourage endowments,” she said. “It helps a lot of families who wouldn’t be able to enroll their children in Catholic schools.” |
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