Catholic schools in the city of Davenport and throughout Scott County, Iowa (Diocese of Davenport), have a long and successful history of providing quality education that is genuinely Catholic and has deep roots within the various parish communities. Each school exhibits many strengths that have been instrumental in their sustainability and growth throughout the years. Yet, even with these many strengths, they were facing a number of enrollment and funding challenges that mirror those faced by many Catholic schools throughout the country.
To begin addressing these challenges in a proactive fashion, pastors, school leaders and board members of Assumption High School, All Saints Catholic School, John F. Kennedy Catholic School, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School, and Lourdes Catholic School determined that a bold, collaborative change was necessary to ensure the strength and vitality of Catholic education in Scott County. As a result, local pastors, school and board leaders, partnering with Meitler, began investigating how to best approach the future in a proactive fashion. All believed that it was critical to engage each school and parish community in creating this new and dynamic vision.
As a result of the planning and growth process, diocesan, parish and school leaders began to create, over a two to three-year timeframe, a more regional and collaborative system for grades PK-12 involving all five school communities. This system will focus on establishing centralized services, from purchasing to in-common business operations and a unified system of human resources and finances.
In addition, the system will coordinate programming in academics and curriculum development as well as co-curricular and enrichment programs. A comprehensive enrollment management plan will expand recruiting activities, reduce competition and improve student retention.
Currently in the process of being implemented, the plan developed by the Scott County Catholic schools provides a future that will not only sustain the various Catholic schools, but will also create the broad support necessary to continue the educational mission of the Church throughout the Davenport and Scott County area of the Diocese of Davenport.
The progress we made in our planning for the future of our Scott County Catholic schools would not have been possible without the assistance of Meitler. We spent many years discussing the challenges that we faced within our schools on our own. It was only through our partnership and work with Meitler we were able to translate words into action and begin planning for the implementation of a new regionalized system.”
Andy Craig, President of Assumption High School in Davenport
