Keeping the mission alive In urban areas, it takes a community to sustain a school; three Detroit schools know it well
Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published August 26, 2005

DETROIT - When it comes to strengthening educational opportunities in Detroit, the area¡¦s Catholic schools appear to be a significant part of the future.

At least to the Skillman Foundation.

The foundation, a charitable organization committed to improving the lives of children in Detroit, this year recognized and awarded grants to a number of schools in the city - and six Catholic schools were among them.

"Our focus is on those schools ¡V regardless of whether they¡¦re charter or private or parochial ¡V that are really doing a good job in educating children," said Carol Goss, president of the foundation.

Christ the King Elementary, St. Scholastica and St. Cecilia Elementary schools have been awarded $50,000, $15,000 and $10,000 respectively from the organization. Three other schools - Gesu Elementary, St. Bartholomew and St. Mary of Redford - were given honorable mentions by the philanthropic foundation.

Administrators and teachers at the Catholic schools say that the awards, which are based on academic programs and test scores by students at each school, are the result of their supportive school communities.

Schools 'like family'

"There's definitely a strong family spirit at St. Cecilia," said Sr. Margaret Sweeney, IHM, who until last school year served as principal of St. Cecilia Elementary. "There's a sense of responsibility that everybody has for everybody ¡V not just my homeroom or my class."

Indeed, administrators at the three Catholic schools receiving the grants say that responsibility is a large part of what keeps them running.

Their communities take responsibility for their children's education.

All three schools have teachers who have been at the schools for decades. They have alumni who send their children through the same school. And they have a healthy core of active volunteers, willing to do anything from fundraising to building maintenance.

Sr. Sweeney's situation is evidence of a tight-knit school community. After being principal of the school for decades, this year she hands her title to Darlisa Hogan - a former student who has been employed at the school in various functions since she was in high school.

Meanwhile, at St. Scholastica, principal Faye Vaughn says the average tenure for a teacher is about 25 years.

"We have wonderful teachers," said Vaughn. "That's the success of the school. I have parents continually asking 'Is Mrs. Nelson coming back?'"

There is another reason for the success, too, Vaughn said. That's the parents.

Dwayne Walker, president of St. Scholastica's parent-teacher association, has overseen fundraising drives and has encouraged parents to continue to believe in Catholic education.

"Having grown up Catholic and having attended Catholic schools, you have the opportunity for one-on-one contact that you would not get in a larger classroom setting," Walker said. You'd get individual attention, if necessary.

"It helps with the child¡¦s self esteem and confidence. The school is like a family."

Covering the costs

Of course, in urban areas where enrollment at Catholic schools has dropped along with population - both Catholic and non-Catholic - many school communities are going through hard times.

The successful schools, however, have ways of staying strong financially.

Rosanne Jodway, principal of Christ the King Elementary, can tick off a laundry list of ways her school saves money while keeping on the cutting edge of educational programs.

• They have an assistant principal who acts as a financial manager.
• Volunteer efforts help with upkeep of the building and fundraising.
• The school's staff is well versed at pointing parents to both public and private scholarship opportunities. The four most popular scholarships, for instance, come from the Children¡¦s Scholarship Fund, Education for a Brighter Future, Education Freedom Fund and Thompson-McCully Foundation.
• Teachers pitch in to help apply for government grant money and private grants ¡V such as the $50,000 Skillman Foundation grant, which will be used for a science lab, an arts program and building maintenance.
• And they receive a strong show of financial support from Christ the King Parish.

The most important thing, Jodway said, is that their children's education is the top priority.

"Our curriculum is up to date," she said. "Nothing is taken away from the kids, and nothing is taken away from safety.

"Our staff is one that's very open. We discuss a lot. But when it comes to keeping the school going and doing things for the kids, we're all on the same wavelength."

Judy Brooks, the third grade teacher who spent hours pouring over paperwork and test scores to apply for the Skillman Foundation grant, said the school's reward this year is validation for the work of the school family.

"It means that people recognize the work that we do here and there's a tradition here of academic excellence," Brooks said. "We work hard to maintain that, especially in terms of curriculum and textbooks -We're very committed to this community and I think our families all are committed to Christian education. So for Skillman to say, "This is a Catholic school that does a great job - it's a stamp of approval on all the hard work that everybody does."

Challenge all over

While schools in urban areas have been at the highest risk of having too few students to continue, maintaining Catholic education even in the wealthier suburbs isn't a small task, said Sr. Mary Gehringer, OSM, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

"It's difficult for any school to maintain a balanced budget while providing quality programs," Sr. Gehringer said. "It's a sacrifice for parents and it's a sacrifice for teachers to continue to support these schools."

Still - as Christ the King, St. Scholastica and St. Cecilia give witness to  a dedicated community, no matter where it is, can do a lot toward helping Catholic education survive.

"It takes the prayerful support," Sr. Gehringer said. "It takes the 'How can we help you?' and 'What volunteer work can we do?' support from parents and families that just believe in Catholic education.

"That effects all of the schools, whether they're in an area that¡¦s bursting at the seams with children to be in Catholic schools, or an area that has few people to go into the school. They all need that."

As for several of Detroit's Catholic schools, it appears that they have it, too.

"We are a success story," said Walker, whose daughter Amber is going into fifth grade at St. Scholastica. "We really are. And I love it. My daughter enjoys going to school there every day."