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Meitler Consultants Reports - Click on Client Access and the Access Code is OMAHA If you have any questions or comments regarding this topic, please contact Mr. Marlan Burki directly. You can write directly to Archbishop Lucas: Archbishop Lucas Father Jim's letter dated January 19, 2012 Mr. Burki's letter dated January 20, 2012 Summary of St. Frances Cabrini's Feedback
on Schools Proposal Draft One There was very strong support for the proposed model of a regional Catholic school system in southeast Omaha. Folds underscored the desirability of opening all schools in the system to families belonging to any parish in the system; the advantages of more equitable resources, teacher salaries and tuition policies; and the strength of having larger schools which would be able to offer additional activities and course offerings. In general, folks believe that this approach, if done well, provides the best future for high-quality, sustainable Catholic education in southeast Omaha. We believe, though, that there needs to be room in this new regional system for one small school that has a special mission and a proven record of success in that mission. We believe that All Saints Catholic School should be included in this new regional system for the following reasons:
- While it is generally true that larger schools with
multiple classrooms of the same grade level are more sustainable and
offer many advantages - more activities, more opportunity for
diverse academic offerings - it is also true that a certain portion
of our students do much better in a smaller school's
environment. Parents ought to have the option of choosing
a smaller school for their child if the advantages of that
environment are primary for them. - All Saints Catholic School has a special mission of
educating our newest immigrant community, the Sudanese, and has a
proven track record of success in that special mission. Over
the past 10 years our teachers and staff have developed a very
successful approach to working with our Sudanese students in the
classroom, in activities, and with discipline; just as vital, our
teachers and staff have established strong relationships with
parents and families in this refugee community that support the
success of our efforts with their children. The Sudanese are
not simply immigrants: they truly are refugees and each of our
families has experienced the violent displacement that resulted from
decades of genocide in the Sudan. They are a very fragile and
vulnerable people, and for many, All Saints is one of the few places
where they are welcomed, understood, supported and loved.
While all Catholic education saves lives and futures to some extent,
our work at All Saints does this in a truly profound and literal
way. - Just as there is a need for a special outreach in this
system for Hispanic students, so there should be a special outreach
for Sudanese students and for any students who would benefit from a
smaller environment. - All Saints offers a wonderful mix of cultures with Anglo
students, Hispanic students, African-American students and Sudanese
students. Well over 90% of our students are Catholic, and at
least 2/3 go on to Catholic high schools each year - an exceptional
number given the economic challenges faced by families in a school
where 70% qualify for free breakfast and lunch. We have recent
graduates at Creighton Prep, Mercy and Gross, and they are doing
well. - It is important that the near-downtown area of Omaha
continue to have the availability of Catholic education. While
transportation will be a greater need within the entire proposed
regional system, there are limits to the distance many parents will
travel in order to provide Catholic education for their
children. It is certainly our hope that parents throughout the
regional system area might consider All Saints because of its
smaller environment, cultural diversity and proven track record, but
it is also true to that some parents will abandon Catholic education
entirely if a school is not reasonable close to
home. There is no question that All Saints Catholic School is doing an amazing job with its students, and that this success is due primarily to a cadre of especially talented, dedicated teachers who feel they are part of a mission that is even great than that of Catholic education generally. We have a proven track record and provide a distinctive service that none of the other schools provides. We believe that All Saints ought to be included in the proposed regional school system, to continue to provide excellent education in a small, nurturing environment, for an even greater number of students.
Letter to Parents from Father Jim - January 19, 2012 Dear Parents and families of students of All Saints Catholic School: Many of you may have read the story in today's Omaha World Herald regarding possible changes for Catholic elementary education in southeast Omaha. It is important for all of us to have more information about what is going on. Back in June, Archbishop Lucas announced a process of planning for the 37 Catholic parishes and 18 Catholic grade schools in the area of Omaha east of 72nd Street. There were a number of reasons for starting this planning process. First, our part of the city has changed a great deal since the days when those parishes and schools were established in order to serve very large numbers of newly-arrived immigrants from Europe, most of whom were very poor and who spoke a multitude of languages. Churches with strong ethnic identities were built within each neighborhood to help new immigrants maintain their strong Catholic faith lives, while offering services in native languages from parishes near enough that folks could walk to church. Most parishes eventually built their own schools as well, and those schools were very successful in helping several generations of immigrant families begin new lives in this part of America. Over the last 50 years, though, many of those families moved further west as Omaha expanded, and those original ethnic neighborhoods became much more diverse. As that patter has continued, we have found ourselves with too many churches and schools that are located too close together for the present and likely future needs of our part of the city. Further, because ours are among the oldest parishes and schools in the city, our buildings need more maintenance, putting a strain on finances that simply "getting by" is not the goal for any given parish or school; we want each one to flourish and to be home for vibrant programs that will serve present parishioners and students and will attract new ones. Since June, we have been involved in a four-step planning process guided by professional consultants from the Meitler Group, based in Wisconsin, and two local "steering committees," one for parishes and one for schools. In step one, pastors, principals and lay representatives of all parishes and schools were interviewed and much additional data was gathered about population trends, finances, condition of school and parish facilities and more. In the second round, we received an impressive summary of all the information gathered, as well as some conclusions about what all that data indicated: in short, that we needed a better plan to more closely match the needs of our Catholic population with with parishes and schools that would serve those needs. We wanted not to just "get by," but to make sure that all of our schools and parishes had the kind of support and programs that would help them to be strong, vibrant and sustainable. In round three of this process, which is taking place right now, the consultants and steering committees have presented some initial proposals for the kinds of changes that might be made to help us serve our Catholic population more effectively, making better use of our resources while strengthening our parishes and schools. We heard those proposals for the parishes on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, January 10-11; we received those proposals for the schools this week at meetings held Tuesday and Wednesday, January 17-18. It is important to remember that these are initial proposals, and that we are now asked to study them, think about them, and give feedback that will help the consultants and committees refine those proposals in preparation for a fourth round of planning in March; final recommendations will be given to Archbishop Lucas in early April for his consideration and decision. The general direction of the proposals is important. Right now, each of our Catholic grade schools is sponsored and run by one or more parishes, with a lot independence. That approach grew up because of our history, with parishes and schools serving those early ethnic groups. However, that approach now means that there is not as much planning and cooperation among the schools and that the resources available to each school depends mostly on the parishes. That leads to competition among the schools for students, teachers, and financial support, at the same time that most of the schools are operating with less-than-full capacity. Further, families must belong to a school's sponsoring parish in order to qualify for "member" tuition. That means that parent choice is limited because most don't want to change parishes for the sake of changing schools. It is almost certain that, if we keep going this way, some of our schools will fail, one at a time, and one of the schools will be as strong as we'd like. The Archdiocese is now suggesting a different approach in the southeastern part of the Omaha in which we will take eleven parish-based Catholic grade schools and turn them into a regional school system that will have one board of directors and one executive director over the whole system, all under the supervision of the Archbishop and the Catholic Schools Office. The schools would have a common tuition policy as well as common teacher salaries, and they would be supported by tuition, contributions from all the parishes in the south area, fund raising, and additional support from the Archdiocese. Any family registered in one of the much larger group of parishes would qualify for admission and member tuition at any of the schools in the new system. Now, here is the challenging part: when it is time to transition to this new system, we will not need all of the building we are presently using. The proposal suggests that our 11 present schools be consolidated into six buildings. At this point, the suggestion is that our All Saints families be absorbed into the other six schools and that our building not be used after June of 2013. One consideration for the choice of the buildings that would be used is a preference for larger schools that can offer two or three classrooms for each grade level, allowing more flexibility and more special programs, especially in the middle school years. We now have the opportunity as a school community to learn more about this proposal, to discuss it, and to provide feedback. Our feedback will carry more weight if we are careful to point out things that might not have been considered, or if we suggest workable alternatives. Mr. Marlan Burki will announce a date and time for folks to gather to learn more and to discuss this proposal. Our teachers and staff love All Saints and know that you do too; still, for the sake of having the very best Catholic education possible in our part of the city, we are being asked to consider this proposal. It is important for us to be involved in this stage of the process, and to give our feedback. Please watch for more information from Mr. Burki about upcoming opportunities for discussion and feedback. And please pray for God's guidance for Archbishop Lucas and for all of us as we plan for the very best possible future for our Catholic parishes and schools in southeast Omaha. Father James
Clifton
A Letter from Mr. Marlan Burki, sent home with students on January 20, 2012 Dear Parents and Friends of All Saints: The first proposal of the Meitler Consultants report has suggested that All Saints Catholic School does not fit their requirements and should be closed in the years ahead. Our job is to convince this group that All Saints provides a special service to her students and families. With that in mind, I am asking that you sit down this weekend and write a short note (one or two paragraphs only) of how All Saints has helped you or your family. We will then select some to be sent, with a package of other material designed to convince the study group and Archbishop Lucas that All Saints Catholic School is vital to the continue success of the Omaha Archdiocese school system. All material must be presented to this group by January 31, 2012, so your letters need to be in the office by Monday; Tuesday (January 24, 2012) at the very latest. Thank you for your help and remember: NEVER GIVE UP!!! God Bless, Marlan Burki |