Diocese of Covington - Education at PO Box 15550, Covington, KY 41015-0550 US - September 25, 2008

Mr. Philip Gessner, principal of St. Henry Elementary School (SHS), reported that the school began in 1893, located on Shaw Avenue in Elsmere. From 1899 through 1986 Benedictine Sisters staffed the school. Within the past ten years there have been several changes. St. Henry High School is no longer at its former site. Grades 5-8 meet in the former high school building. Grades K-4 meet in the elementary building. In 2002 an enclosed overhead bridge was installed on the second floor, connecting the two buildings. In 2002 an elevator was installed to make the school and parish hall handicapped-accessible. In 2003 the PTO helped with computer updating. There are fifty-four computer work stations. All library books are computer-catalogued. The computer file-server is also used by the parish. In the last two years every classroom has received a smart board. The school has a counselor who works exclusively with students with special needs. In 2003 SHS was honored by the Greater Cincinnati Inclusive Network and by the Inclusive Education Committee of the Diocese of Covington for efforts to teach students with learning disabilities. SHS has received two Teacher of the Year awards from the diocesan Association of Elementary School Administrators (AESA) and two catechetical awards from the Department of Religious Education. The school has an enrollment challenge. Mr. Gessner noted that the enrollment of the local public school district, Erlanger-Elsmere, has declined by a percentage almost identical to that of St. Henry. He noted that the public school district is building a new Lloyd Memorial High School (LMHS). At one time LMHS had an enrollment of 1200; the new high school is being built for 600. The population has bottomed out; there is no room for expansion. Buses from the Kenton County Public School District transport about seventy to seventy-five students from the St. Barbara area to SHS. Enrollment is 317. The enrollment issue is being addressed by a committee of parents with public relations and development skills who are working with the school’s development director. There has been an increase in the number of parent contacts by either e-mail or telephone. School brochures, fact sheets and the website have been improved. Enrollment has been affected by tuition.

Responding to Dr. Bowman’s request, Mr. Gessner stated that at the September 24 AESA meeting principals learned that there is to be a diocesan approach to increasing enrollment through public relations and development: perhaps, through Insight TV and through more use of the diocesan newspaper The Messenger. Dr. Bowman added that in this week’s Messenger there is an ad listing the dates of open houses at schools in the diocese. The high school placement test is usually held on the second Saturday of December; December 13 this year. The Louisville Archdiocese has a consultant that works with its schools to increase enrollment. The Owensboro Diocese has an admissions director to institute programs for the area around the city of Owensboro itself to increase enrollment at schools in the Owensboro area of that diocese. Mr. Gessner agreed that what is needed is someone who can focus the necessary energy on that specific challenge; increasing enrollment is not a responsibility that can be squeezed in here and there. Another factor that may be affecting diocesan enrollment is that the state has mandated all-day kindergarten.

Mr. Michael Jacks, principal of Immaculate Heart of Mary School (IHM), who was not able to attend, submitted a written report. Enrollment is 688, pre-school though 8, with thirty full-time teachers, ten part-time teachers, and a teacher-student ratio of 1-25. The successful Exceptionalities Program provides instruction for resource as well as enrichment. In the Grades 6-8 Elective Program, students are given the opportunity to enroll in quarterly elective courses taught by their teachers. Examples of courses are: Food and Nutrition, Fun Math Challenges, Life Survivor Skills. This year in May at the Boone County Public Library, IHM will present its first play Willy Wonka. Deacon Bayne from IHM added that there are waiting lists for grades K-5.

Dr. Bowman stated that at the October 23 board meeting the election of officers will be held for: chairperson, vice-chairperson, and third member of the executive committee.

Proposed meeting dates and locations of the Diocesan Board of Education for the board year 2008-2009 were presented:

Executive Committee	Regular Meeting	Location
Thursday, October 9	Thursday, October 23	Sts. Peter and Paul
Friday, November 21	Thursday, December 11	St. Timothy parish
Friday, January 9	Thursday, January 23	Holy Family
Friday, February 13	Thursday, February 26	St. Joseph, Cold Spring
Friday, March 13	Thursday, March 26	St. Augustine, Augusta
Wednesday, April 8	Thursday, April 23	Covington Catholic
Friday, May 8	Thursday, May 28	Holy Trinity Junior High

It was moved (Deacon Bayne—Fr. Robbins) to accept the proposed meeting schedule for the Diocesan Board of Education for the board year 2008-2009. All in favor.

Dr. Bowman said that at the October 23 meeting members will be assigned to the three standing committees. The primary purpose of the finance committee is to establish the salary scale. It meets several times a year to gather needed data. It gathers input from pastors, principals, and teachers and then makes a recommendation to Bishop Foys. The policy review committee examines proposed new or amended policies before making a recommendation to the board. The planning committee undertakes to examine future directions or projects. The executive committee is composed of the chairperson, the vice-chairperson, and a third board member elected at-large.

Dr. Bowman reported that total enrollment was 10,564; elementary, 7215; high school, 3349. He stated that eighty-eight percent of eighth graders from Catholic elementary schools went to Catholic high schools. A decrease in enrollment has been a challenge in recent years. Plans are to address this issue. To Mr. Laterza’s question, Dr. Bowman replied that in the diocese there are two private Catholic schools, each of whom has a principal and a president; the president can devote significant time and energy to promoting enrollment. It is difficult to do that if you are a principal who is also concerned with curriculum issues, teacher issues, and parent issues. Mr. Laterza said that perhaps over time the costs of such a development person could be recouped through increased enrollment.

Dr. Bowman said that districting lines for high schools in Boone, Campbell, or Kenton County were drawn in 1982 in order to maintain the nine high schools. Parishes were aligned with high schools. From time to time districting has been reviewed. There have been some minor adjustments (e.g. adjustment of the out-of-district tuition surcharge). This year a committee is scheduled to review districting. Bishop Foys has appointed three priests to the committee. Three high school principals will be on the committee, as will three diocesan board members. Dr. Bowman and Mike Clines, Assistant Superintendent, are also members of the committee. A student may attend an out-of-district high school; but an out-of-district school is not allowed to recruit that student. Only the in-district school can recruit that student (P5081). If a student attends an out-of-district school, there is a tuition surcharge (between 10% and 20%), P3220.

Dr. Bowman stated that the ACUE gala will be Saturday, November 8. ACUE’s executive director is in her second year. All tuition and all bills for Holy Cross Elementary, Holy Family, Holy Trinity, Prince of Peace, St. Anthony, and St. Augustine elementary schools are going to one location. To Fr. Robbins’s question, Dr. Bowman answered that ACUE does not yet have a development director.

Dr. Bowman reported that Bishop Foys will celebrate the senior Mass at the Cathedral on Wednesday, October 22, at 1:00 p.m. The New Board Member Workshop was held on Wednesday, September 17. At least seventy new board members attended as this is a requirement for new members. Two education policies from the 2006 Synod are being implemented: Catholic identity and the report showing the cost of operating a school. Plans for 2009-2010 call for implementing the following two Synod education policies: first, use of the NCEA’s Assessment of Catechesis/Religious Education (ACRE) religious education testing data to assist schools in a review of their curriculum; second, specific regulations regarding school functions and athletic events being scheduled on Sundays, Holy Days, and the days of Holy Week. Busing Catholic school students is a safety issue, not a religious issue. If a public school system provides bus transportation for private school students, the county fiscal court may reimburse the school district for the cost. For the past three years the state has budgeted $2,900,000 to county fiscal courts for this type of reimbursement. This year it would take $4.3 million in state money to fully fund the cost of transporting private school students throughout the state. The Catholic Conference of Kentucky (CCK), the Kentucky League for Educational Alternatives (KLEA), and the Kentucky Non-Public Schools Commission are lobbying to get additional funding for transportation of private school children. Fiscal courts are now being reimbursed by the state at a rate of about 66%; they are covering the other 34% from their own budgets. For reimbursing public school districts for transporting public school students, the state uses in its formula $1.88 per gallon of gas. Mr. Gessner added that perhaps if private school groups lobbied for an increase in the $1.88 per gallon amount, the reimbursement amount to fiscal courts for transporting private school students would also be increased. Dr. Bowman said that public and private groups could work together to increase reimbursement amounts for both.