St. John’s receives grant

St. John’s Catholic School was recently awarded a four-year grant valued at more than $50,000.

As a mission Diocese, the Diocese of Little Rock is eligible for this grant from the Catholic Extension Society. Catholic Extension has partnered with Catholic School Management, a division of Christian Brothers Services, to offer its Strategic Management and Development Program to St. John’s and five other Catholic schools in the Diocese.

According to a news release, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor said Catholic educators are “not only educating our children academically, but are shaping their spiritual life as well,” a task that requires dedication to continual improvement.

The Strategic Management and Development Program is a four-year, on-site consultation service that helps schools to position themselves for long-term viability and vitality through improving the effectiveness of school boards, enhancing school image and communications, raising money, managing enrollment, and marketing themselves more effectively.

“St. John’s is excited for this opportunity to take a step back and fully evaluate our school as we work to implement the best practices of highly effective Catholic schools,” said principal Paul Guild.

School Board President Hans Pullen added, “Our volunteers are among some of the most committed you can find. We are excited to engage in planning for the long-term future of our school.”

According to the release, the program promises to make a significant difference for participating schools because of CSM’s track record. Ninety-nine percent of the more than 3,000 schools it has worked with continue to thrive after fully completing this consultation program.