Unified vision in Cincinnati

ACE Consulting is working with the leadership of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to envision and plan for a bright future in the Archdiocesan schools.

“It is very important to begin building this vision and plan,” said Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr. “Our schools are a vital ministry of the Catholic Church.” “Catholic school education has changed through the decades in the Archdiocese,” noted Superintendent of Catholic Schools Dr. Jim Rigg. “Our schools have a long-standing and well deserved reputation for excellence. Our new vision and plan will allow our schools to preserve their quality, enhance their viability, and move thoughtfully through the twenty-first century.”

As initial steps toward developing a unifying vision for archdiocesan Catholic schools and a strategic plan for the Catholic Schools Office, the Archdiocese has:

• created a 12-member Vision Steering Committee composed of educators, parents and clergy;
• retained the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) Consulting, an affiliate of the University of Notre Dame, to conduct an assessment and facilitate a visioning and planning process;
• begun collecting key qualitative and quantitative data on the spiritual and academic programs of the Catholic schools, as well as data related to finances, demographics, and marketing;
• planned 12 visioning sessions throughout the Archdiocese to solicit the ideas of pastors, principals, parents and parishioners, beginning in early May of 2011;
• initiated a restructuring of the Catholic Schools Office to facilitate the creation of this vision and plan;
• announced the absorption of the Catholic Educational Collaborative (CEC) in Dayton by the Catholic Schools Office, effective July 1, 2011.

The restructuring of the Catholic Schools Office will include employing regional school “directors” who will focus on the spiritual, academic, and operational quality of the schools much more intimately. Additionally, the office will employ specialists in the areas of strategic planning and financial planning/development to better support the schools.

The Catholic Schools Office will carry on the best of the services offered by the CEC and ensure that these services continue without interruption. The vision and strategic planning effort, entitled “Lighting the Way”, is already in progress. A series of initial conclusions will be released to pastors and educational leaders in the early fall of 2011. The complete plan should be fully formed by the fall of 2012.

“We are blessed with some of the best schools in the country in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati,” said Dr. Rigg. “I am convinced that, with prayerful and purposeful planning, we will ensure that our schools continue to provide authentic, faith-based programs, top-notch academic offerings, and warm family-centered communities. The future is bright for Catholic education in Southwest Ohio!”

Although the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 38th largest Catholic diocese in the country, it ranks eighth in the number of students enrolled – over 43,000 students in 112 Catholic primary and secondary schools.