With the new school year almost a month old, I thought this would be a good time to fulfill a request made by one of our high school presidents. During a recently conversation, he remarked that since he became president of the school, people often ask him, “How do you like retirement?”
He went on to suggest that since the high school president model was relatively new to our diocese, it might be a good idea for me to write a column on what a school president is expected to do so people will not think that he or any other president is retired.
So what are the responsibilities of a school president? The model of having a president and a principal in the administration of our schools is used by the most successful schools across the nation. In this model, the president’s role is crucial in building a future for the school.
Currently, we have three high schools with presidents and three searching for a president. Our two elementary school systems, Holy Cross Academy and Lumen Christi, also have presidents and their responsibilities are the same as the high school presidents.
School presidents have five main responsibilities. They are to:
a.) provide the financial resources necessary for the school to function in the present and grow into the future (fund-raising);
b.) responsibly manage the school’s present financial resources (fiscal management);
c.) act as the face and voice of the school in the local community (public relations);
d.) articulate a vision of where the school needs to go in order to succeed (marketing); and
e.) represent and celebrate the history and traditions of the school (spirit leadership).
Of all these, the most important and the criteria by which presidents are evaluated is the first: fund-raising. That is the primary task of a school president.
In a school with the president/principal model, the principal attends to internal matters, such as Catholic Identity, recruitment, curriculum, discipline, athletics, service projects, supervising teachers, and working with parents. The president is focused outward. He or she is a resource-builder, working with the school board, alumni, donors, foundations and friends of Catholic education to guarantee that the school has money for endowment growth, scholarships, tuition assistance, new academic programs, in-school technology, and improvements to the physical plant.
In earlier times, when a school could be financial solvent from the proceeds of one auction or golf outing per year, fund-raising could be done by the principal and a committee of parents. As costs have increased, however, Catholic schools that want to continue to provide a quality education at an affordable price must seek new sources of funding. That is where the president comes into the picture. He or she is expected to be out in the community promoting the school and encouraging individuals and institutions to invest in the school’s future.
Working in tandem with the president is the school board. As outlined in Sister Lourdes Sheehan’s famous book, “Building Better Boards,” Catholic school boards should be involved in planning, policy formation and enactment, finances, selection and evaluation of the president, fund-raising, public relations and marketing.
As you can see, school presidents are anything but retired. Their vision is always centered on how to position their school to have the resources it needs to make it not just as good as, but even better than, the competition.
If you went to a Catholic school or you recognize the value of Catholic schools even though you did not attend one, please welcome a call from the school president and generously help him or her construct a solid foundation for the education of our youth.
Original blog used with permission can be found at the following link:
http://doyorg.ipage.com/files/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2083:the-role-of-presidents-in-catholic-schools&catid=37:bishops-column&Itemid=54