Saint Albert the Great Roman Catholic School has again earned a very special nod in the Plain Dealer’s 2018 Top Workplaces survey. The parochial school earned second place in the survey’s small business category and has been recognized as a Top Workplace for four consecutive years.
“Everyone is rather proud of this because of how it happens,” said Principal Ed Vittardi. “It’s not a contest or a competition. It’s based on direct feedback from the folks most directly involved, and that’s a very worthy point of pride from my standpoint, that our folks enjoy their work here, and they feel committed and appreciated. It completes the circle of what I think makes it special.”
The Top Workplaces survey is a yearly program that gives employees across northeast Ohio the chance to nominate and rate their workplace, according to an article published on Cleveland.com. Survey questions are robust, asking employees to anonymously share their opinions related to connectivity (feeling appreciated and performing meaningful work), effectiveness (encouraging new ideas, doing things well, sharing viewpoints), alignment (where the company is heading, its values and cooperation), managers (cares about concerns, helps employees learn and grow), and other areas like employee engagement, leadership and employment basics such as compensation, benefits, training, flexibility and expectations, according to the article.
“This honor shows that Saint Albert the Great School is a healthy, vibrant, committed and dedicated place,” Vittardi said. “It’s reflective of outstanding people doing great work and loving doing it. It represents so many things with questions like, ‘I believe the organization is headed in the right direction,’ and how employees work with their colleagues. It’s such a comprehensive view, not just touchy-feely stuff. Also, it’s very important data with or without the recognition. These are things you want to know. You want to know how employees feel about working here. Do they feel valued? Connected? Engaged? Those things are all measured. I’m certainly proud of the recognition, but that’s secondary to me as much as it is valuable information about our organization and the people who make Saint Albert the Great special.”
Saint Albert the Great Roman Catholic School will open its doors this coming school year at above capacity, with 815 currently enrolled. Enrollment rates for the grade school, one of the most modestly priced in the Diocese of Cleveland, continue to increase nearly every academic year. Families as far away as Aurora are enrolled in the school, along with other municipalities like Medina, Bedford, Berea, Cleveland and Parma, according to information released during the 2017 State of the Schools Address.
“We’ve grown with a waiting list when other Catholic schools are hoping for healthy enrollment. We are blessed and in a good situation,” Vittardi said. “The school-age population here in the North Royalton School District is declining, we’ve learned, so our numbers have gone up as the pool is actually getting smaller.”
When school resumes next month, students will note major changes to the library, which has been converted to a “Learning Commons” incorporating a maker space, new furniture, and a television production studio in partnership with Fox 8. The Wallings Road school now has a designated classroom for Spanish instruction and rooms are equipped with the newest in interactive SMART Board technology, among other improvements and housekeeping items.
Vittardi, who is approaching his sixth year as principal, identified with Saint Albert the Great Parish Pastor Edward Estok when he communicated his viewpoint that the church and school should work as partners with the bigger North Royalton community, Vittardi said of his hiring process. Vittardi retired as superintendent of the North Royalton City Schools in 2013 and started as principal at Saint Albert the Great Roman Catholic School that same year. His career in education spans more than 35 years, with stops in Twinsburg, Medina and Independence.
“I’m really proud to be living and working in this community,” Vittardi said. “The parish, school and the city are all interconnected and we’re all strong because of each other.”

By SARA MACHO HILL
Contributing Writer