Eight area Catholic schools uniting under one school system

CEDAR RAPIDS — Eight metro area Catholic schools are uniting as a single corporation for preschool-12 grade education that will be called Xavier Catholic Schools as of July 1, 2024.

Under this plan, Regis Middle School and LaSalle Catholic Middle School will consolidate into a single location. A study is being conducted on the possible locations for a 600-student consolidated middle school for grades sixth to eighth.

The recommendation was made by two separate task force groups that included pastors, parish representatives and school administrators, and the decision made by parish leadership.

“As the task force conducted its analysis, it became clear that one of the critical opportunities systematization provides the community is having all schools and parishes working formally together with a single mission and vision supported by specific goals to strengthen Catholic education in the metro area,” said Jeff Henderson, chairperson of one of the task forces and former principal of Xavier High School.

“Working together in the areas of spirituality, academic excellence, student services, teacher training and support, physical plant needs, budget efficiencies and fundraising consistently across all parishes is exciting and filled with so much opportunity. There is still so much work to do, but this is a key and important first step towards an even higher level of Catholic educational excellence,” Henderson said in a news release Tuesday.

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Xavier Catholic Schools are part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque and currently consist of eight buildings with a total enrollment for the 2023-24 school year of 2,104 students:

Work is beginning to identify and create a new Xavier Catholic Schools school board and determine a process for hiring central office administrators and staff.

St. Joseph’s School in Marion will remain a preschool-8th grade building for at least the next five years, at which time the system will be reassessed.

Metro Catholic schools have been operating under the Xavier Catholic Schools brand since 2013, but each school has maintained its own individual structure of governance over the last decade with each school having its own school board.

Over the years, administrators and educators across Xavier Catholic Schools have collaborated regularly in enhancing their Catholic identity, supporting students and teachers, engaging with the community and achieving high participation in co-curricular activities.

“The Cedar Rapids Metro has a strong legacy of forming and educating students in their human, spiritual, intellectual and social dimensions,” said Thomas Zinkula, Archbishop of Dubuque. “The collaboration announced today will only enhance our schools and parishes. Thank you to the many parish and school volunteers and pastors for their work on this monumental project.”

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A 19-person task force convened in August 2022 to conduct an extensive exploratory study to determine whether or not it was in the long-term best interest of parishes and Catholic education in the metro area for Catholic schools to remain independent.

In February, a separate 27-person exploratory committee began an investigative process to determine whether or not it was in the long-term best interest for the metro Catholic middle schools to remain independent or become consolidated.

A formal Xavier Catholic School system will result in greater efficiency in establishing a common and clear mission, vision and long-range plan, according to a news release Tuesday. This includes the schools’ commitment to Catholicity, consistency in academic programming across all schools, increased pay and benefits for staff, K-12 fundraising initiatives to address facilities, programs and salaries, expanded childcare, teacher training, consistent integration of Education Savings Accounts, tuition and need-based tuition assistance, a consistent parish subsidy formula and an improved use of resources.

Consolidating the middle schools in particular will be a more efficient use of resources and ensure tuition is the same for all middle school students in the Metro Catholic school system.

Regis Middle School — formerly Regis High School — opened in 1958. LaSalle Catholic Middle School — formerly LaSalle High School — opened in 1963. Regis and LaSalle high schools merged to form Xavier High School in 1998.

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