We are pleased to share some extraordinary news of hope and opportunity for continued growth for our school!
When Fr. Dave arrived nearly five years ago, we were in a very different place. He challenged his parish and school staff to address the most important work within our circle of influence: to re-evangelize within our walls. To that end, our parish developed a robust calendar of offerings to get all of us reoriented to Jesus’ mission: to make disciples and disciple makers and build upon the foundations of those who came before us. We very quickly saw a passionate and willing community, thirsting to grow in faith and community.
When COVID-19 hit, both our parish and school were affected greatly. Through the innovation of our faith formation staff and the generosity of our parishioners, our parish rebounded quickly. Our school however took a large decline in enrollment and the school operating costs associated with the pandemic grew.
Fortunately, both state and federal grant funding was made available to help schools remain open. We used this funding strategically to support our school staffing and programming. Our goal was not just to survive the economic uncertainty, but to set ourselves up to thrive when we “returned to normal.” To that end we:
We also chose to continue with our plan to bring a Classical Education Model to our school, raising future leaders who are well educated in what the true, the good and the beautiful. In the past St. Francis has been known for developing amazing leaders in the community. Our move to Classical Education is simply aimed at bringing us back to our roots to build upon our foundation and the legacy of excellence our parish and school is known for.
With the help of SPICE, we eventually hired an Intervention Specialist so that we could serve the needs of every student. With our grant dollars we recruited an Intervention Specialist Assistant to expand this program. Additionally, we hired a Counselor/Art Therapist, a Full-time Substitute Teacher, a Literacy Expert, and a Classical Education Consultant.
Because of these strategic decisions and the support of our parish community, our school is beginning to flourish! After such a long winter of uncertainty, we are experiencing a new springtime of growth as indicated by these statistics:
As you can see, these conscious decisions which were a leap of faith are paying off, but there is an area of concern. The grant funding ends in 2023. With our current enrollment we are very, very close to covering all the additional costs of those investments and the addition of a new Kindergarten Teacher. Unfortunately, close doesn’t cut it. The reality is that we are at risk of having to make cuts at the end of 2023 if we cannot make up the difference.
Our school, like many Catholic schools, presents an incredible opportunity to directly impact the lives of so many – the children, of course, their parents, their grandparents and beyond. Through the school, we are reaching people at all points on their faith journey: we’re reaching on-fire Catholics, lukewarm Catholics, non-Catholics, and perhaps even those who’ve never encountered the love of Christ before!
We know that so many of our parishioners, families, and alumni see what we are doing at our school and want to be a part of this mission. We ask that you prayerfully consider making a special one-time gift to the school to help us bridge the gap between our projected expenses and the funding that grants have provided in the past.
A gift of any size will help us achieve our mission: to make disciples and disciple makers. You can ensure St. Francis will continue to educate for eternity.
Your partners in His mission,
The St. Francis Parish Leadership Team
Help Wanted
Now seeking an alumni relations volunteer. If you are an alumnus of St. Francis School and would like to see your alma mater thrive by leading alumni relations projects, please contact Angel Schneider, Director of Communications & Engagement.