Meeting focuses on the future of Catholic schools

Intermountain Catholic

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Holy Cross Sister Genervra Rolf, assistant superintendent (left) Tim Dwyer, consultant, and Holy Cross Sister Catherine Kamphaus, superintendent of Catholic Schools discuss a vision for the future of Catholic Schools.IC photo by Jessica Blake

Jessica Blake, intern

Intermountain Catholic

SALT LAKE CITY — Many people concerned with the future of Salt Lake City Catholic schools gathered recently for a strategic planning meeting. This esteemed group included parents, faculty, staff, members of the clergy, as well as others affecting these Catholic schools. The assembly was held on Sept. 9, at St. Vincent de Paul Church to discuss ideas on current and future curriculum.

As soon as the meeting began, Bishop John C. Wester, of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, gave a welcoming speech and led the room in prayer. During his lecture, Bishop Wester reassured the teachers of their value, "I am convinced of the importance of your roles, working with God’s grace to form and fashion human souls. I know we struggle with all kinds of issues, it’s not always easy, but at the end of the day, know that what you do is important."

Holy Cross Sister Catherine Kamphaus, superintendent of schools, as well as the associate superintendent, Holy Cross Sister Genervra Rolf, spoke of steering committee members in the right path.

Tim Dwyer, consultant, described solidifying the current situation and developing a vision. He stated that today is the first work day for the next several months of planning and developing.

A few members of the meeting shared their personal goals for that day. Brian Lebrecht, a committee member at St. John the Baptist School, was expecting guidance from the diocese about his individual school. Kevin Condas, part of the staff at St. Francis Xavier Regional School, wanted a better understanding of all the challenges his school faces. Sr. Karla McKinnie, from St. Andrew School, wanted to have input to see what everybody else was thinking. Also, Joe Garcia, a school board member at St. Joseph Elementary, Ogden, wanted to build a better future.

As the work day started immediately, each participant was given a folder of various packets and worksheets concerning statistics, a data profile packet, and reflection by the participant. Dwyer introduced a power point presentation answering questions from school vouchers to non-catholic vs Catholic, and hard/soft income.

Everyone then formed small groups for a reflection and discussion period. During the discussion, the concerned school members were surprised at rising tuition costs vs rising economic growth, low parish support, and how diverse Catholic schools seem to be compared to public schools.

The most concerning issue was the amount of children baptized that don’t attend Catholic school. Also, many schools were obtaining most of their income from a category marked ‘other income’, clarifying this concept could help other schools obtain ‘other income’.

After the group discussion, the group took a break to gather their thoughts. When asked about the meeting so far, Dwyer answerd, "I think it’s going great! Everybody is really focused."

Dwyer answered the room’s questions and discussed ideas. Soon enough, identifying the strengths and limitations facing Salt Lake City Catholic schools became the source of conversation. The main programs or characteristics of the schools that were considered assets included parent involvement, high expectations, having a Catholic identity, and having good morals, behavior, and citizenship. Rachel Moore, a parent for St. John the Baptist school, stated that, "Catholic identity is important, especially here, we need to make sure our kids are strong in their faith."

Particular weaknesses of the schools included competition from public and private school affairs, watering down Catholicity to be all encompassing for non-Catholics, faculty turn-overs, and funding. Rachel Moore says, "It’s nice that everyone gets to speak their mind."

Afterwards, they identified opportunities and threats facing Salt Lake City Catholic schools. By the end of the meeting, they reached a consensus about their top five items in each category. They did a ‘wrap-up’ by critiquing, discussing the next steps, and handing out assignments and a calendar.

The next 4-6 meetings will be about assessing where schools are now, identifying benchmarks, and achieving them.

The stewardship of our Catholic schools is in good hands, not only today but appently looking toward the future