By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph Catholic Schools Partnership is looking towards the future as it expands to the next phase of its Vitality Plan.
President of the partnership Ann Lachowitzer says in February the bishop met with pastors and decided to move the partnership towards developing an academy.
"So, a preschool through 12th grade with different campuses, so all of our schools remain open, but under a system," Lachowitzer tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Systems are not a stranger to Catholic education you find them a lot up in Iowa for example they have a lot of systems up there."
Lachowitzer says this system would bring all the schools under that system model. The partnership has already hired Catherine Neumayr as the head of schools.
Lachowitzer says that one of the biggest changes with this system model will be taking some stress off of school principals, allowing them to focus more on being an academic and spiritual leader.
"In the past they've been weighed down with just a lot of extra duties, requirements from the diocese, etcetera," Lachowitzer explains. "And so, by removing some of those obstacles and streamlining some of the processes, we're hoping to take some things off their plate, so they can better focus on that parent, that child, that student development."
Lachowitzer says this change should benefit the students the most, which is always the goal with the plan.
Lachowitzer says herself and Catherine Neumayr have held four town halls with parents, and each one has been very insightful
"We've heard from a lot of parents, they've raised some very good questions, they've raised concerns of course, and I think we welcome those," Lachowitzer says. "And I think we welcome those, as leaders trying to put a new system together, we need to know what's on the minds of our people, our stakeholders."
Lachowitzer says some of the biggest questions parents have asked are how will the system affect their child’s school and building, and how the system will be funded.