Diocese Announces Pilot
Schools for School Development Program
The Foundation of the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Buffalo has unveiled the names of the schools that will be the first
to take part in a program to strengthen Catholic education in the diocese. Today’s announcement, made at
The following schools have agreed to
be pilot schools in phase one of the program:
Our Lady of Black Rock Academy, Buffalo; Southern Tier Catholic School,
Olean; Niagara Falls Catholic Schools Network, Niagara Falls; Holy Family
School, LeRoy; Immaculate Conception School,
Wellsville; St. Leo the Great School, Amherst; St. Joseph University Parish
School, Buffalo; Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Orchard Park; Most
Precious Blood School, Angola; and St.
Reflecting on the new opportunities
now available to the selected schools, Executive Director of the Foundation
David J. Kersten noted, “Through the CSDP initiative
now underway, the phase one schools, and all of the schools in the Diocese of
Buffalo, are being given the chance to better share the message of educational
and spiritual success that Catholic schools have always offered families
considering enrolling in our Catholic schools.
As the Diocese of Buffalo continues with the Journey in Faith and Grace,
the timing of the CSDP initiative perfectly integrates with our renewed
commitment of providing our Catholic school students and families with strong
elementary and high school educations and vital spiritual development while
also strengthening all aspects of our diocese’s education system for the
future.
“The Foundation of the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Buffalo is pleased to be able to collaborate with the
International Education Foundation and offer its CSDP initiative here in the
Diocese of Buffalo. This program
initiative is intended to complement the diocesan planning process and
strengthen Catholic education so it can serve the needs of our children for
generations to come.”
Started by the International Education
Foundation in 2004, the CSDP focuses on the belief that for Catholic high
schools, colleges and universities to thrive, Catholic elementary schools must
be strong. Through intense planning and
marketing, the CSDP works to enhance marketing, recruitment and enrollment programs,
assist in establishing formal fund raising, and strengthen school management
and governance.
Over the next several months, pastors,
principals and teachers, and parent communities of the phase one schools will
be assessed on all aspects from recruitment and retention to financial
management and fund raising. They will
learn effective ways to attract prospective students and discover ways to
enhance the management and governance of their schools.
The multi-tiered plan includes
parental involvement, an aggressive advertising campaign and school-specific
business plans. Kersten said he is confident the CSDP
pilot program will be a success in the diocese.
With so many principals, teachers and parents already committed to
Catholic education in the eight-county diocese, the skills, tools and guidance
provided by CSDP can only increase the achievements of a Catholic education
from preschool through college.
“Our Catholic schools continue to provide
successful academic programming, yet they also require systemic intervention in
the business process to ensure their continued ability to provide excellent
educational opportunity to the children of our community, especially the
disadvantaged,” Kersten explained.
Running the school like a business
is precisely what founder Robert T. Healey envisions. His goal is not a sales quota or profit
margin but rather to keep Catholic education strong and available for many
years to come.
“Our vision,” Healey said, “is to
save Catholic education. It’s our
ministry and my vision and my legacy.”
With the successful completion of
the pilot program, the other Catholic elementary schools in the diocese will be
added in three different phases.
For more information about the CSDP,
visit the Foundation Website at www.fdrcb.org.
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The
Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of