School Consolidation Update

Principal search

Budget and tuition

What is the status of the principal search?

The deadline for submitting an application for the position of principal for Marquette Academy has passed. Naturally, the names of those who have applied are confidential. The requirements for administrators in the Diocese of Peoria are posted on the diocesan website and applications were submitted to the Office of Catholic Schools in Peoria. While the Superintendent of Schools does not select the principal, he establishes the diocesan requirements and oversees the process. A principal-search committee has been convened and has met several times. The search committee will formally recommend a candidate to the Pastors’ Board which does the hiring of the Principal. We anticipate naming the new Principal by the end of March. Besides Brother William Dygert, Ph.D. (Diocesan Superintendent of Schools), the members of the search committee are as follows:

Ryan Cantlin, Esq. Mr. Cantlin is a member of the Marquette Education Commission. He is an Assistant State’s Attorney for LaSalle County.

Michael Driscoll, Ph.D. Dr. Driscoll is a member of the St. Patrick Education Committee. He is

currently the Senior Process Development Engineer for Carus Corporation in LaSalle.

Mrs. Janet Graham Mrs. Graham has served on the St. Columba Education Commission. She

is currently the Administrator of the Illinois Department of Human Services in LaSalle County.

Fr. Philip D. Halfacre Father Halfacre is the Pastor of St. Patrick Parish and the President of the

Marquette Academy Pastors’ Board.

Fr. David M. Kifper Father Kipfer is the Pastor of St. Columba Parish and the Vice-President of the Marquette Academy Pastors’ Board.

Msgr. Brian Rejsek Monsignor Rejsek is the Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Marseilles and a member of the Marquette Pastors’ Board.

Mr. Jerry Sanderson Mr. Sanderson is an Associate Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese

of Peoria.

What will be the tuition for Marquette Academy?

A finance committee has worked for several months to put together a balanced budget for the Academy. For the past 100 years, the financial responsibility of the grade schools has been born by the parishes that sponsor them. Because the grade schools are becoming part of the regional high school, the financial responsibility for the entire Academy is being assumed by the surrounding parishes. This is a major change. Recently, the Marquette Pastors’ Board met with the finance committee and the Pastors unanimously passed the proposed budget. Tuition figures cannot be released until the budget receives formal approval from the Bishop, but the Pastors passed a budget that includes a modest tuition increase of several percentage points.

Return March 2010