FOUNDATIONS FOR OUR FUTURE
The Strategic Plan for Central Catholic High School
“Just as God commanded light to shine out of darkness, so God himself kindles a light in the hearts of those destined to announce his word to children, so that they may be able to enlighten those children by unveiling for them the glory of God.” Saint John Baptist de La Salle
July 2010
FOUNDATIONS FOR OUR FUTURE THE CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL STRATEGIC PLAN The name “Central Catholic High School” is synonymous with excellence. Central Catholic’s reputation for a quality Catholic high school educational experience remains exceptionally strong, according to the strategic planning process recently conducted by Central Catholic. The goal is to take what was learned from the process and make Central Catholic even stronger as it plans for the next several years. Titled Foundations For Our Future, the strategic plan lays out a bold vision for Central Catholic’s future, capitalizing on the school’s strengths while addressing opportunities to expand Central Catholic’s reputation for academic quality, spirituality, and service. Foundations For Our Future is the product of a seven-month planning process commissioned by the Central Catholic board of directors. The process involved a comprehensive review of the school’s history, policies and procedures, course offerings and related documentation. In addition, personal, confidential interviews were conducted with, or survey questionnaires were completed by, 65 individuals. Participants included members of administration, the board of directors, the board of members, faculty, alumni, parents and other stakeholders. In addition, two focus groups were held with Junior and Senior students. The strategic plan groups objectives into one of four categories, or strategic areas, and presents 13 related strategic goals. The plan reflects the traditions that make Central Catholic distinctive, and charts a course that will enable the school to address opportunities to ensure that it remains an exceptional choice for a high school education. The four strategic areas are:
Encouraging Visionary Leadership, Embracing Values & Nurturing Initiative Strengthening Curriculum and Stewarding Resources Communicating Achievements and Sustaining Enrollment Enhancing Facilities and Technology
These four areas encompass the full range of Central Catholic’s mission, and each of their respective strategic goals and related strategies are linked. Although no single area is more important than another, through the strategic planning process it was determined that progress made in the strategic area Encouraging Visionary Leadership, Embracing Values & Nurturing Initiative will have an impact on accomplishments tied to the other three areas. As the process for implementing the plan continues through 2010, Brother Richard Grzeskiewicz, FSC, president; and Brother Robert Schaefer, FSC, principal, along with representatives of the board of directors, will convene subcommittees of faculty, staff, alumni, parents and other stakeholders to develop specific actions or tactics for accomplishing the strategic goals.
STRATEGIC AREA 1-Encouraging Visionary Leadership, Embracing Values & Nurturing Initiative This strategic area touches on the key issues of leadership, values and tradition, and the importance of sustaining a culture of creativity and enterprise. The strategic planning process confirmed the key role of the Christian Brothers as teachers, administrators, spiritual leaders and keepers of Central Catholic’s Catholic identity; the long-standing ideals and traditions that are part of the school’s identity; and the importance of honoring those traditions while welcoming creativity and innovation, and ensuring best practices in all areas. The strategic planning process acknowledges the important relationship Central Catholic has with the Diocese of Pittsburgh since its foundation – a relationship marked by mutual respect and support. As Central Catholic moves forward into the future, best practices in contemporary Catholic secondary education in the United States indicate the need for increased autonomy in decision making at the school level. The consensus of all the stakeholders who participated in the process was that more freedom in important decision making by the administration and Board of Directors will enable Central Catholic to chart a vibrant and vital future in its mission of providing a human and Christian education to the young men entrusted to its care by parents and by the Church. Most participants in the planning process believe, for example, that Central Catholic should be responsible for setting and administering its own budget. Also with regard to finances, currently Central Catholic does not manage its own endowment and other restricted funds, such as funds associated with the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program. Nor does Central Catholic make personnel decisions or develop its own student recruitment practices. Within this strategic area, in addition to Central Catholic’s relationship with the Diocese, the strategic planning process identified several objectives: Ensure board development and effectiveness Reinforce the values inherent in the school’s mission and philosophy Practice effective communications across all stakeholder groups Monitor and manage the impact of changes in demographics, education standards and technology Increase racial, gender, and age diversity Maintain the commitment to the Christian Brothers and the Lasallian tradition, and Central Catholic’s catholicity
STRATEGIC AREA 2-Strengthening Curriculum and Stewarding Resources Central Catholic’s reputation is directly related to the presence of critical assets or resources. One such asset is academic quality, which goes hand-in-hand with the strength of Central Catholic’s faculty and staff. The strategic planning process identified the following as being essential to sustaining Central Catholic’s excellent reputation: Implement a faculty staffing plan to ensure the ability to recruit and retain talented faculty and staff Achieve market-based compensation for faculty and staff Increase outreach to and engagement with alumni, who represent a vital resource for Central Catholic on many levels (continued)
Increase tuition assistance to ensure that, even as tuition expense may rise, a Central Catholic education remains affordable for all Strengthen the Advancement program to ensure that adequate staffing and resources are available to attract increasing levels of philanthropic support from all sources Achieve increased responsibility and authority for all contributed funds and financial assets
STRATEGIC AREA 3-Communicating Achievements and Sustaining Enrollment One of the great opportunities identified through the strategic planning process is the importance of creating broader awareness of Central Catholic and the strengths and accomplishments of its students, faculty and alumni. It is believed that increasing this awareness will further enhance Central Catholic’s reputation, and assist in ensuring that Central Catholic’s enrollment remains strong in the years ahead, even in the face of changing demographics. Specifically, the strategic planning process identified two key goals: Establish a five-year enrollment plan to help maintain targeted enrollment levels Implement a comprehensive, ongoing public relations and marketing program to communicate and celebrate the accomplishment of Central Catholic students, faculty and alumni and contribute positively toward the school’s image and reputation STRATEGIC AREA 4-Enhancing Facilities and Technology Appropriate facilities and adequate technology are foundational elements of a strong high school; Central Catholic is no exception. While Central Catholic’s architectural style distinguishes it from other high schools in southwestern Pennsylvania, the strategic planning process determined that Central Catholic must continue to update and modernize its facilities and technological resources in order to remain competitive with other regional private, and even public, high schools. With this in mind, several strategies have been identified to support this important goal: Develop a comprehensive master facilities plan to assess current facilities and identify future needs, and from this develop a five-year facilities plan that prioritizes renovation and new construction needs Assess best practices and emerging trends in high school physical plant design Complete a strategic technology assessment plan to identify and prioritize technology needs through the 2012 school year Develop a long-term capital budget plan, including projected costs, and a timetable for implementing the plan, and engage the Finance and Advancement committees of the board of directors to help ensure the necessary funding for the projects The Central Catholic High School strategic planning process Foundations For Our Future has not only confirmed Central Catholic’s great strengths and excellent reputation, but also has identified opportunities that, if acted on, will help ensure the school’s reputation for excellence. As the strategic planning process continues in the months ahead with the development and implementation of action steps designed to move Central Catholic toward its “vision for the future,” regular updates will be shared with alumni, faculty, parents and students. Ultimately, the success of the plan will depend on the support and involvement of many individuals across all stakeholder groups. Those interested in becoming involved in one or more of the committees are encouraged to contact Br. Richard at 412-6218189, or
[email protected].
Central Catholic High School Strategic Planning Process Personal Interviews and/or Written Surveys Andrew Adomotis Anonymous Anonymous Bro. Michael Andrejko, FSC Thomas Ayoob William Batz Edward Bernot David Bodrog Michael Boyle Russell Brown Robert Buzzelli Glenn Campbell Jesse Campayno Richard Capretta August Carlino Vincent Ciaramello Charles Crummie Linda Dietz Betty Dillon Linda DuPlessis Joanne Foerster Jeffrey Folino Kirk Freyvogel Carol Fulton James Gordon Bro. Richard Grzeskiewicz, FSC David Hickton Paul Iurlano Eugene Kail Charlotte Kenrick James Lamanna Gerald LaVan Kathleen Lynch
Mary Ann Lynch Joanne McGowan Michael McSorley Timothy McVeigh Anthony Martini Paul Matvey Brian Miller Edward O’Connor Bro. Benedict Oliver, FSC Ronald Owen Robert Preserba Jude Punturi William Reilly Lawrence Sadowski Bro. Robert Schaefer, FSC Marion Schraut Lori Sever Marianne Shablousky Harry Sirockman Ann Smyres Gregg Spechtold Rev. Kris Stubna Matthew Sudnik Donald Teti T. Bradley Totten Harry Tuminello Jennifer Urso Rev. Benedetto Vaghetto Charles Vukotich Christopher Wilson Joseph Wilson Elyse Wright Additional Involvement: Two student focus groups (14 Juniors and Seniors) Telephone consultation with Roy Cartier, Diocesan Educational Budget and Planning Office
