The Catholic Courier is reporting that Bishop Clark has appointed a new, 15-person Catholic School Board to “provide guidance and oversight on issues related to the Catholic schools of the Diocese of Rochester.”
For years the Monroe County Catholic School System has had its own board (see here for an obviously outdated membership list). It is not clear from the article whether that board has now been abolished, or will continue to oversee just our Monroe County schools.
Five of the new diocesan-wide board members are listed in the article. They include Father Robert Ring, pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Community in the Finger Lakes; Father Robert Werth, parochial vicar at Peace of Christ Parish in Rochester; Ann Marie Deutsch, principal at St. Mary School in Canandaigua; Timothy Leahy, principal at Siena Catholic Academy; and Bernadette McClelland, principal at Holy Family Elementary School in Elmira. The other 10 members have thus far not been publicly identified.
According to the article,
The board members will sit on subcommittees — including a development subcommittee and regional finance committees, [Catholic Schools Superintendent Anne] Willkens Leach said.
“The goal of the board is to review finances and involve parents and the greater diocesan community in marketing our schools so we can ensure viability,” she said.
Board members will review the findings of subcommittees at quarterly meetings. The board members will choose officers and set term lengths at their upcoming September meeting, Willkens Leach said.
It’s now been two years since Bishop Clark closed 13 Monroe County Catholic Schools. Some of these schools had a very high level of parent involvement, as evidenced not least by the extensive financial and managerial plans these parents and local community leaders developed on very short notice to operate their schools independently of the diocese. All of these plans were, of course, shot down by the bishop who knew from the get-go that he had no intention of accepting any of them.
It will be interesting to see whether two years is enough time for people to forget just how little real concern DOR has shown for the primary stakeholders in its Catholic schools.
Tags: Catholic Schools
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I’ve always cared for Mr. Leahy. He’s a great man, and solid in the faith. He’ll be an asset.
Eeek!!! It seems to me that the Board should not have sitting members whom it oversees, i.e., principals. I know most for profit Boards include one or more officers, especially the CEO. I’ve never thought that a good idea since it inhibits candid evaluations and discussion when the CEO messes up – and committees don’t really work. I also think it has led to unregulated CEO pay.
Be that as it may, non-profits generally don’t include staff on the Board as voting members. Leave it to His Excellency to propose a revision that is likely to create more issues than it solves. Or, at least is atypical for a large non-profit.
Poor DOR, with leadership like it has, in what shape will it survive the next 2+ years?
I agree Mr. Leahy is a good and honest man. However, I’m worried that this is just another ad hoc group put together to “improve” somthing with the hidden agenda that they’ll recommend closure. Anyone who has had a child in a diocesan school in the last 20 years realizes that this bishop doesn’t support them. TL
I think the board has more people on it then there a catholic school in the DOR haha