Parent Information Night

1
Parent Information Night
May 13, 2009 Assumption Catholic School Denver, CO

• Richard Thompson
• Superintendent of Catholic Schools

2
Catholic Schools In the News

• Provide opportunity to address questions and
  concerns
• Counteract rumors with facts
• Lay foundation for action plan
• Provide support, guidance, and advice

The Archdiocese of Denver consists of 525,000
registered Catholics you, me, the person
sitting next to you
3
Stabilization Plan

• Archdiocese of Denver Catholic Schools current
  situation
• Twenty-two (22) schools will receive decreased or
  no grant assistance from the Catholic Schools
  Assistance Fund (CSAF) and Salary Assistance
  effective beginning with the 2009-2010 school
  year. Families attending these 22 schools who
  qualify for assistance will continue to receive
  some level of Seeds of Hope tuition assistance.
  The specific details regarding grant assistance
  for these 22 schools has been shared with the
  pastors as they plan for the 2009-2010 school
  year and beyond.
• 400,000 bridge funding provided by the
  Archdiocese of Denver to help fund tuition
  assistance needs for second semester 2008-2009
  school year.
• In the last 10 years, Catholic schools serving
  families in need of financial assistance and
  other services have received 60.5 million in
  grants.
• For the 2009-2010 school year, Catholic schools
  with families in need will receive 3.8 million
  in grant support including 1.0 million in bridge
  funding from the Archdiocese of Denver.

4
Stabilization Plan

• Archdiocese of Denver Catholic Schools key
  metrics for long-term sustainability
• Enrollment trends for the last 10 years
• Enrollment based on percentage of capacity for
  the last 10 years
• Demographic trends (number of school age children
  in the area, housing, population, etc.)
• Engagement and implementation of self-sufficiency
  tools, materials and information provided to
  schools by the Office of Catholic Schools
• Capital maintenance needs of the facility now and
  for the next 3-5 years
• Proximity to other Catholic schools
• Amount of parish funds that are required to help
  operate the school.

5
Long-Term Sustainability

• Catholic schools that will survive the economic
  crisis and beyond
• Are actively engaged in branding initiatives
• Have differentiated themselves
• Have parish and school community support
• Are actively engaged in development activities
  that promote self-sufficiency
• Have identified donors and benefactors that
  support the vision of the Catholic school
• Have expanded their stakeholder base to help
  decrease operating budget

6
Parent Responsibility

• You have asked to have your child baptized.  In
  doing so you are accepting the responsibility of
  training him (her) in the practice of the faith. 
  It will be your duty to bring him (her) up to
  keep Gods commandments as Christ taught us, by
  loving God and our neighbor.  Do you clearly
  understand what you are undertaking?

Source Catholic Church - The Sacrament of
Baptism - Rite of Baptism
7
National Landscape

• Since 1990, 400 new Catholic schools have opened
• Since 2000, 1,247 Catholic schools have closed
  for a loss of 382,000 students
• Most of this loss has been in urban, inner city,
  and rural areas
• Hundreds of schools slated to be closed this year
  and next year
• 43.2 of all Catholic schools are located in
  urban and inner city areas
• Minority students account for 27 of the total
  enrollment
• A figure that is steadily increasing

Source NCEA, 2005
Source Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic
Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third
Millennium 2005 USCCB
8
Archdiocese of Denver Catholic Schools Enrollment
Trend
Source Archdiocese of Denver Catholic Schools
Office of Catholic Schools Official Enrollment
October 2008
9
3-Year Snapshot (2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04)
Source Archdiocese of Denver Catholic Schools
Office of Catholic Schools FDE August 2008
10
3-Year Snapshot (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08)
Source Archdiocese of Denver Catholic Schools
Office of Catholic Schools FDE August 2008
11
2007-08 vs. 2008-09
Source Archdiocese of Denver Catholic Schools
Office of Catholic Schools October 2008 Enrollment
12
Environmental Noise
13
Dont Know Barriers
14
Archdiocese of DenverCatholic Schools
Our Brand
Investing in Our Future
Essence
Confidence that our children will experience more
complete development and unsurpassed academic and
personal success.
Our Promise
Reasons to Believe
Office of Catholic Schools (Global)
Proof Points
and AoD Catholic Schools (Local)
Call to Action
15
Sustainability Measurements

• Mission

• Academic achievement / assessment

• Enrollment

• Finances

16
Sustainability Measurement - Mission

• In the spirit of the Catholic tradition,
  Assumption Catholic School claims as its mission
  the development of each students mind, heart and
  soul. In a loving and giving community,
  Assumption will provide a quality education which
  fosters creativity and independent thinking as it
  focuses on religion, responsibility and respect.

Source Archdiocese of Denver Office of Catholic
Schools NCEA Demographic databank October 2008
17
Sustainability Measurement - Mission

• Student Enrollment 08-09
• 117 students
• 56 Boys (48)
• AoDCS K-8 avg 48
• 61 Girls (52)
• AoDCS K-8 avg 52
• Retention
• 90 students returned from 2007-08 SY
• 71 of 5th graders have been with Assumption
  since Kindergarten and/or 1st grade
• 71 of 8th graders have been with Assumption
  since Kindergarten and/or 1st grade

• Religious Affiliation
• 91 Catholic
• AoDCS K-8 avg 93
• 9 Non-Catholic
• AoDCS K-8 avg 7
• Location
• One of three (3) Catholic schools serving
  families in the North Denver deanery
• Presence
• Age of schools in existence range from 8 years
  old to 100 years old
• Assumption Catholic School opened for enrollment
  in 1920 with 35 students

Source Archdiocese of Denver Office of Catholic
Schools NCEA Demographic databank October 2008
18

• Catholic schools are not a test-centered factor
  for education but are a Christ-centered community
  for formation of the whole person mind, body,
  heart and soul.
• Richard Thompson

19
Sustainability Measurement - Achievement
Source AoDCS Office of Catholic Schools 2009
ITBS Assessment Results
20
Sustainability Measurement - Achievement
Source AoDCS Office of Catholic Schools 2009
ITBS Assessment Results
21
Sustainability Measurement - Achievement
Source AoDCS Office of Catholic Schools 2009
ITBS Assessment Results
22
Sustainability Measurement - Achievement
Source AoDCS Office of Catholic Schools 2009
ITBS Assessment Results
23
Sustainability Measurement - Achievement
Source AoDCS Office of Catholic Schools 2009
ITBS Assessment Results
24
Sustainability Measurement - Achievement
Source AoDCS Office of Catholic Schools 2009
ITBS Assessment Results
25
Sustainability Measurement - Achievement
Source AoDCS Office of Catholic Schools 2009
ITBS Assessment Results
26
Sustainability Measurement - Achievement
Source AoDCS Office of Catholic Schools 2009
ITBS Assessment Results
27
Sustainability Measurement - Achievement

• The Assessment of Catechesis/Religious Education
  (ACRE) helps school, parish and diocesan leaders
  evaluate the faith knowledge and attitudes of
  students in grades 5, 8 and/or 9, and 11 or 12
  and measures religious knowledge, beliefs,
  attitudes, practices and perceptions of
• God Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• Church One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Liturgy
  and Sacraments
• Revelation Scripture and Faith
• Life in Christ Personal Morality and Catholic
  Social Teaching
• Church History
• Prayer / Religious Practices
• Catholic Faith Literacy

28
Sustainability Measurement - Achievement
Source AoDCS Office of Catholic Schools 2008
ACRE Assessment Results
29
Sustainability Measurement - Enrollment

• What factors contribute to your schools
  enrollment trend? What changes have occurred at
  your school and/or in your school community that
  are represented in your enrollment trend?
• Has the change(s) affected enrollment in the
  short-term or has it had a long-term effect?
• Is there a shift in demographics affecting your
  school? Describe the shift and its implications.
• Is the shift in population demographics affecting
  your enrollment in the short-term or long-term?
• Based upon your analysis, what are some
  short-term steps you need to take regarding your
  schools enrollment trend?
• What are some long-term steps?

72
52
30
Sustainability Measurement FinancesClosing
the Gap

• Percent of expenses covered by tuition and
  fundraising

Based upon June 30 2006 Financial Reports
31
Sustainability Measurement - Finances

• Tuition (2008-09 rates)
• 29th on scale (1-30) of tuition rates from
  highest to lowest for affiliated Catholics
• Range 5,000 - 3,250
• Average 3,831
• Assumption 3,300
• 27th on scale (1-32) of tuition rates from
  highest to lowest for non-affiliated Catholics /
  non-Catholics
• Range 7,777 - 3,300
• Average 4,883
• Assumption 4,300
• Grant support
• CSAF 115,000 since 2003-2004 SY
• Salary Assistance 155,000 since 2003-2004 SY
• Seeds of Hope 104,000 since 2001-2002 SY

374,000
32
Sustainability Measurement - Finances

• Offertory
• 2004 Offertory 317,046
• 2008 Offertory 325,822
• 3 increase in offertory over 5 years
• 1 increase in offertory from 2007 to 2008
• 49th largest offertory out of 138 parishes and
  missions in the Archdiocese of Denver for FY2008
• Mass Attendance
• 2 increase in Mass attendance from October 2007
  to October 2008
• 6 increase in Mass attendance from October 2006
  to October 2008

33
What is the Archdiocese of Denver Doing?

• The strategic direction and focus for the
  Archdiocese of Denver Catholic Schools has four
  (4) pillars that form the foundation of the
  Catholic schools long-term sustainability and
  constitute a paradigm shift in Catholic schools
  throughout the US.

Pillar 1 Promote self-sufficiency
Pillar 2 Protect philanthropic base
Pillar 3 Expand stakeholder base
Pillar 4 Implement strategic pruning
Provide the vision, tools and resources necessary
to help schools grow in financial
self-sufficiency.
Continue to develop, nurture and be good stewards
of the philanthropic base necessary to ensure
that our schools are accessible to people of all
social and economic strata.
Create and implement a broad-based funding
formula to meet and actualize the guidelines of
the Holy Father and the Archbishop of Denver, to
provide the opportunity for the entire Catholic
community to contribute according to their means
to the financial needs of our schools.
Utilize and communicate data-driven
sustainability measurements to determine and
recommend strategic pruning for schools that are
not able to meet the sustainability factors
differentiation, specialization, consolidation,
compassionate closing.

• Implement strategic pruning
• Sustainability Measurements
• Education Review and Resource Commission
• Watch List
• Engage local-level advisory groups
• Data collection and analysis
• Engagement in self-sufficiency initiatives
• Creative alternative models and structures for
  our Catholic school system

• Promote self-sufficiency
• Brand Implementation
• Marketing Toolkit
• Development Symposium
• Enrollment Management Symposium
• Parent Information Nights
• Local-level Proof Points
• Call to Action Take Another Look

• Expand stakeholder base
• Stakeholder communications and relationships
• Annual Report
• Parish Investment Assessment (PIA)
• Cost Structure
• Provide ongoing global information snapshots

• Protect philanthropic base
• Cultivate Donor and Benefactor Communications
  and Relationships
• Provide data-driven evidence of need
• Cost Structure
• Provide research based assessment and reporting

34
What is Assumption Catholic School Doing?

• Engage in the Archdiocese of Denver Catholic
  Schools branding efforts
• Capital investment in approved technology and
  laptops/mobile lab
• Updated Curriculum resources in Language Arts and
  Mathematics
• Multiple steps to cultivate and nourish Catholic
  culture and identity
• Focusing fundraising into more family-friendly
  community building efforts
• Continue to strengthen school and parish
  community relationships

35
What Can You Do?

• Volunteer and sign-up for marketing and
  fundraising committees forming tonight
• Continue to work on building community
• Be aware of the big picture
• Be knowledgeable and counter rumors with
  information
• Be realistic
• Be positive
• Be enrollment evangelizers
• Engage in the branding and development
  initiatives of the school
• Father Peter Dihn

The challenges ahead are many, but our spirit
and will to succeed are strongWe must respond to
challenging times with faith, vision, and the
will to succeed because the Catholic schools
mission is vital to the future of our young
people, our nation, and most especially our
Church.
Source Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic
Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third
Millennium 2005 USCCB
36
Parent Information Night
May 13, 2009 Assumption Catholic School Denver, CO

• Richard Thompson
• Superintendent of Catholic Schools