Any update on St. Bart's?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This strategic data report from the ADW is eye-opening. I'm happy to see that my kid's parochial school looks like it has a healthy enrollment.

https://adwcatholicschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2018-2019-Strategic-Data-Portfolio-FINAL.pdf

ADW parish elementary schools overall are down 15.8% in enrollment over 10 years. St. Bart's enrollment is down 23.8% in the past 5 years. (Which is a lot at that size ~ 45 kids).

Chantal looks weak as well. Almost 100 kids down.

That's almost 20% in five years, but I suspect that is just a snapshot of a longer term issue. Even the five year data confirms the slide at Dechantal, caused in my view due to very poor leadership and management, an unwillingness to deal with problems and toxic culture, and refusal the keep up with the times. The school is in real trouble but leadership is too stubborn, blind or both to do anything. St. Barts should be a wake up call for Dechantal, but I can't see Dechantal turning itself around with the current administration that is part of the problem. I think the Parish or ADW needs to clean house if the school is to survive.

[Anonymous]

The parent culture at DeChantal is, for lack of a better word, icky. Directly the opposite of St. B.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Also, after this experience, I will never put my child in a Catholic parish school again. My trust is gone.

A lot of lapsed Catholics would say the same, but about the Catholic church overall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how reducing or eliminating the sibling discount at Catholic schools has affected enrollment. I was on my last kid at our school when they introduced it, but if I still had all my kids there, we probably would have switched to public.

Our school still has it. I think parishes decide that for themselves.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand the disdain for DeChantal on this board. I have 2 children there. We have found the community to be very supportive and friendly and the teachers to be top notch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This strategic data report from the ADW is eye-opening. I'm happy to see that my kid's parochial school looks like it has a healthy enrollment.

https://adwcatholicschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2018-2019-Strategic-Data-Portfolio-FINAL.pdf

ADW parish elementary schools overall are down 15.8% in enrollment over 10 years. St. Bart's enrollment is down 23.8% in the past 5 years. (Which is a lot at that size ~ 45 kids).

Chantal looks weak as well. Almost 100 kids down.

That's almost 20% in five years, but I suspect that is just a snapshot of a longer term issue. Even the five year data confirms the slide at Dechantal, caused in my view due to very poor leadership and management, an unwillingness to deal with problems and toxic culture, and refusal the keep up with the times. The school is in real trouble but leadership is too stubborn, blind or both to do anything. St. Barts should be a wake up call for Dechantal, but I can't see Dechantal turning itself around with the current administration that is part of the problem. I think the Parish or ADW needs to clean house if the school is to survive.

Maybe the assumption is that St. B kids will head over to Dechantal and solve the problem.

[Anonymous]

Nope. St.Bart's families will not go to DeChantal. Independent or Public for most. Maybe a small number say Mercy or Little Flower. Literally none have spoken of DeChantal as a back up if it closes. It's just not the environment that they are looking for.

[Anonymous]

Holy Redeemer is on the radar for a few families.

[Anonymous]

We looked at deChantal and HR. It was an education in how incredible St. Bart's really is. Neither offer anything close to the environment, classroom quality, teaching engagement, or facilities at St. Bart's. We'd go Holy Cross if we need to. That's the closest equivalent.

[Anonymous]

Little Flower could be a good fit for families within reasonable proximity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Little Flower could be a good fit for families within reasonable proximity.

Not with any LDs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We looked at deChantal and HR. It was an education in how incredible St. Bart's really is. Neither offer anything close to the environment, classroom quality, teaching engagement, or facilities at St. Bart's. We'd go Holy Cross if we need to. That's the closest equivalent.

Please tell us more about what is unique about St. Bart's! You've mentioned that it's a welcoming place for students with LD, but what else? What is similar about Holy Cross?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at deChantal and HR. It was an education in how incredible St. Bart's really is. Neither offer anything close to the environment, classroom quality, teaching engagement, or facilities at St. Bart's. We'd go Holy Cross if we need to. That's the closest equivalent.

Please tell us more about what is unique about St. Bart's! You've mentioned that it's a welcoming place for students with LD, but what else? What is similar about Holy Cross?

Not PP, but I will give you my perspective, which is hard to do because I do NOT want to put down any other schools. I think that our family wouldn't fit at another school very well. We're liberal (cafeteria) Catholics, really, in our politics and beliefs, and we don't really fit the stereotypical family. We have friends at more traditional parish schools, and they are good schools, but I don't dress like those moms, have a job that isn't like theirs, we don't belong to the same clubs, etc. St. Bart's really is more of a diverse community than the other parish schools I'm familiar with -- racially, economically, and in terms of typical/atypical learners. It isn't just that the school can accommodate LD's / ADHD, but that it's just normal there. There are really all kinds of kids, from the 99th percentiles, to the kids struggling with reading because of dyslexia. Racial diversity FAR exceeding the nearby public schools. And (maybe because it is tiny), the kids don't group up in cliques, and neither do the parents.
I also think that the attitude of the faculty toward students is very much of an accepting and loving attitude. They really do overall try to treat each child as family. Not to say there aren't issues -- of course there are. But it feels like a warm, friendly and open school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the disdain for DeChantal on this board. I have 2 children there. We have found the community to be very supportive and friendly and the teachers to be top notch.

We looked at it. The director was not warm or friendly at all. She got really annoyed when I asked how many non-Christians were there. She kept talking about Catholic vs. Christian but that was not what I was asking. She also insisted I hold my child back a grade due to age even though there were no issues with academics. Kids seemed really unhappy and few were smiling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked at deChantal and HR. It was an education in how incredible St. Bart's really is. Neither offer anything close to the environment, classroom quality, teaching engagement, or facilities at St. Bart's. We'd go Holy Cross if we need to. That's the closest equivalent.

Please tell us more about what is unique about St. Bart's! You've mentioned that it's a welcoming place for students with LD, but what else? What is similar about Holy Cross?

Not PP, but I will give you my perspective, which is hard to do because I do NOT want to put down any other schools. I think that our family wouldn't fit at another school very well. We're liberal (cafeteria) Catholics, really, in our politics and beliefs, and we don't really fit the stereotypical family. We have friends at more traditional parish schools, and they are good schools, but I don't dress like those moms, have a job that isn't like theirs, we don't belong to the same clubs, etc. St. Bart's really is more of a diverse community than the other parish schools I'm familiar with -- racially, economically, and in terms of typical/atypical learners. It isn't just that the school can accommodate LD's / ADHD, but that it's just normal there. There are really all kinds of kids, from the 99th percentiles, to the kids struggling with reading because of dyslexia. Racial diversity FAR exceeding the nearby public schools. And (maybe because it is tiny), the kids don't group up in cliques, and neither do the parents.
I also think that the attitude of the faculty toward students is very much of an accepting and loving attitude. They really do overall try to treat each child as family. Not to say there aren't issues -- of course there are. But it feels like a warm, friendly and open school.

I really hope that these fantastic teachers are able to land in places that are good for them.