Those on the journey with Saint Albert the Great and Church of the Assumption in Broadview Heights were treated to sight-seeing and some much-anticipated highlights during a recent Town Hall style gathering, the first public meeting held since the North Royalton parish announced it will manage the Broadview Heights parochial school next school year due to declining enrollment and the threat of closure.
Staff and members from both parishes sat at attention in the Church of the Assumption pews March 5 to hear a progress report, roadmap and vision from Saint Albert the Great School Principal Ed Vittardi, who now also holds the title of Head of School for the newly named Saint Albert the Great at Assumption Academy. Also in attendance to address the curious crowd was Saint Albert the Great Pastor Edward Estok, Church of the Assumption Pastor Justin Dyrwal, Frank W. O’Linn of the Diocese of Cleveland and newcomer Richard Kaliszewski, who will take over as principal of Saint Albert the Great at Assumption Academy beginning with the 2019-20 year. Per the agreement between the two churches, Saint Albert the Great will manage Assumption Academy starting with the 2019-20 school year.
“This is a multi-year agreement that will begin next year, and we believe for many years to come. The goal is not to expend this effort of transformation for one year but to stabilize an outstanding school for a very bright future,” Vittardi said.
The relationship between Saint Albert the Great and Church of the Assumption is new territory for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. While it isn’t a merger and the Broadview Heights school will continue to be subsidized by its church, it is truly unique and special, as those closely tied to the endeavor know. Leadership at the Broadview Heights church and parochial school reached out to officials at Saint Albert last year to better understand their success and leverage their knowledge to help save Assumption Academy from shuttering.
“This partnership is unheard of in our area and I really want to recognize those who are assisting in this journey,” Vittardi said during the meeting. “What I did not know when I took on this volunteer job was the quality of folks I was saying yes to. We now have a true blending of two wonderful institutions.”
In the five months since the partnership was announced, Vittardi and his team have examined and evaluated staff, budgets, programming and other areas of Assumption Academy. Individual meetings with staff and students were held, along with parent focus groups and in-depth chats to really take a deep-dive into understanding daily life at the Broadview Road parochial school.
Along with the hiring of Kaliszewski as new principal, Saint Albert the Great at Assumption Academy hired kindergarten teacher Erica Yacobozzi, first grade teacher Tessa Rivera and third grade teacher Colette Thellmann, a graduate of Assumption Academy. The school received more than 85 applications for open positions.
Financially, leaders are making progress toward fiscal goals, Vittardi announced. The Assumption Academy network raised more than $107,000 – the most in the Diocese of Cleveland – in the recent “We Give Catholic” yearly Catholic giving online campaign and a Night at the Races fundraiser garnered more than $32,000 towards the funding of next school year.
“These two areas, together with other economic decisions, put our school on solid fiscal footing for next school year and beyond,” Vittardi said.
In his address, Vittardi also urged the gathered community to look past enrollment figures as a sole means of revenue.
“We need to prepare a budget where, yes, enrollment matters, but that also raises revenue via other sources as well as cutting expenditures and accessing and utilizing available public funds,” he said.
Vittardi announced that, in the last five months, 19 new students had been enrolled. Assumption families will see a variety of changes next school year, including a new eight-period day for all students and a master schedule that equates to a savings of $130,000 each year. Next school year, seventh and eighth graders will have the opportunity to take electives at Saint Albert the Great School.
“Saint Albert the Great at Assumption Academy ends one hour prior to the Saint Albert the Great day allowing interested students the opportunity to experience elective classes including tower gardening, video editing, roboloco, 3D design, Shark Tank, Future Entrepreneurs, Trending Now, Reaching for Christ, youth ministry, exercise dynamics, dance, jujitsu and more,” Vittardi said.
Students will be responsible for providing their own transportation to Saint Albert the Great School for these electives.
The Assumption library will also undergo a dramatic technological makeover and funds will be raised to create a new television studio space similar to that housed at Saint Albert the Great School in memory of Kathleen Cochrane DePiero. Cochrane DePiero, a former Saint Albert the Great School parent and Emmy-award winning reporter and Fox 8 anchor, died in 2017 from influenza. Students at Saint Albert the Great use their memorial television studio to produce morning announcements and study broadcast journalism and media.
In addition to the studio, the remodeled library will include ZSpace virtual reality learning equipment, “Maker Space” stations and other learning tools, in addition to traditional library components.
And by way of grant funding, a new secure glass main office will be created along with alarm protected doors, staff keycard entry, a 24/7 alarm system and a Raptor Technologies visitor management system that checks all school visitors against registered sex offender databases in all 50 states and other custom databases set by the school.
Older students will also assist in the development of a spiritual retreat and a new school year kickoff event. Families will also be welcome to participate in Saint Albert’s annual parish service day. The method of maintaining and organizing student information records has also been updated and improved for the new school year.
By SARA MACHO HILL
Contributing Writer