Beginning in January 2013, the seven elementary Catholic schools and two Catholic high schools in Pulaski County embarked on the development of a strategic plan. After reviewing the plan from 2006, it was evident that internal and external demographic trends needed to be re-evaluated.
It is critical to address trends in order to continue to provide a high-quality Catholic education to prepare students for the 21st century for the Church and society.
A strategic plan is a roadmap that helps an organization to continue on a path that will be the most effective approach for its operation. Some may say strategic planning is a waste of time. I would agree if the plan is not implemented. There are several reasons why a strategic plan is needed.
1. Planning helps to define purpose. The strategies used in planning causes everyone to reflect on the mission and evaluate if the mission is current and relevant. It also provides for clarity of vision and purpose. If one doesn’t know their purpose and final destination, then how can one possibly make the best decision day by day or month by month?
2. Planning establishes direction. Planning enables an organization to create boundaries and priorities for future goals. It defines the path it will follow allowing the organization to achieve its potential.
3. Planning creates unity. Since there are seven elementary schools that are feeder schools for the two Catholic high schools in Pulaski County, it is important that the schools work together in planning the curriculum, developing ways to market the schools, assessing ways to raise money for needs of the schools and implementing programs to assist parents with faith formation. Talents and resources can be shared when there is found to be common needs in organizations. Unification provides a more efficient way of providing quality education to all in the schools.
4. Planning builds commitment. When traveling to a destination you have not gone to before, it is sometimes difficult to find your way without a map or clearly defined directions. A well-written strategic plan will give directions to follow and keep everyone on a clearly defined path. This will increase the chances of successfully reaching goals.
In the Pulaski County strategic planning process, there were four committees comprised of representatives from the parishes and schools. The committees identified four broad categories of goals and recommended a series of discrete initiatives under each category. The rationale for each goal is listed below.
- Finances: In order to keep schools sustainable for the future, potential strategies and action steps are to be developed for the schools in the diocese to work together more systematically.
- Keeping current and competitive: In order to ensure quality education for the future, Catholic schools must assess innovative ways to assure that the programs are current and meet the standards for 21st century preparation for college and career readiness.
- Marketing: In order for Catholic schools to remain viable, schools must retain current students as well as market to new students and parents.
- Parent formation/participation in parish life: In order to provide students with an environment that nurtures their growing faith, the adults in their lives must also continue to grow in their knowledge and practice of their faith.
Each one of these goals has detailed written actions, responsible entities, needed resources, cost, evaluation and timelines. The priority action steps for this coming school year include:
1. Creating a diocesan-wide annual collection to support tuition assistance.
2. Developing plans for a Pulaski County-wide fundraiser to support tuition assistance and marketing.
3. Developing a marketing plan, including internal and external marketing for Catholic schools.
4. Create an adult ambassador team to promote Catholic education.
With the assistance of the committee members and the talents of parents from each parish community this plan will be able to be brought to fruition. The strategic planning document will guide the schools and the Office of Catholic Schools as we approach the crossroads of a long tradition and continue on the journey to grow and flourish Catholic education.
