Bishop Donald Kettler convened a steering committee to design a single Catholic school system — named Catholic Community Schools — for the St. Cloud metro area and surrounding communities. To keep the public apprised of its work and address general questions people may have, the group provides regular updates in The Visitor and on the diocesan website (www.stclouddiocese.org; click on “St. Cloud-area Catholic schools initiative.”) The following are highlights from the committee’s Aug. 21 meeting.

  • Steering committee member Erin Hatlestad, principal of St. Katharine Drexel School in St. Cloud, shared feedback from the St. Cloud Area Catholic Principals Association. Schools want to do some things jointly now in preparation for Catholic Community Schools. They will hold a joint work-a-thon called Saints and Service on Oct. 24. They would like CCS to begin marketing efforts and hire a superintendent as soon as possible.
  • The finance subcommittee is devising a common chart of accounts to be ready by fall 2016 so school budgets can identify income and expenditures in the same fashion. The committee is also developing a salary matrix in the context of the matrices used by the four public school districts within which CCS would operate.
  • Bishop Donald Kettler emphasized that he wants to examine the financial plan for CCS and consult with pastors before giving his final approval for the final CCS plan. Steering committee chair David Borgert said a draft finance plan should be presented to pastors within the next 60 days that includes estimates of each parish’s investment in CCS and a budget for the transitional year and first official year of CCS.
  • A second round of informational meetings will be held with school boards, parish councils and school staff.

Feedback and next meeting
Questions or comments? Email: CatholicSchoolsSC@gmail.com
Next meeting: Sept. 4

Catholic Community Schools Q&A

As Catholic Community Schools (CCS) takes shape, the CCS steering committee will keep you informed of the latest news and respond to frequently asked questions on a regular basis.

Question: Why do we need this new approach to Catholic schools?

Answer: Bishop Donald Kettler believes this initiative is the best solution for keeping Catholic school education in the St. Cloud area academically and spiritually strong, and financially viable in light of rising costs and ongoing enrollment challenges. Among the goals are to get more children into classrooms, strengthen and improve the programs offered, and ensure teachers and principals receive just salaries. CCS will enable schools to do more extensive marketing and fundraising together, leaving principals and teachers to focus on their primary jobs: the spiritual, academic and personal growth of their students.