About Us

Recent Publications
View the most recent newsletter issues of The Spirit

• August 2005*
• November 2005*
• January 2006*

History

• For over 100 years students have attended one of many Catholic schools in Kalamazoo.
• During the last 25 years demographics of the City of Kalamazoo and the Greater Kalamazoo area have changed. Today significantly more people live in urban areas on the outskirts of the city and in out-county areas beyond the city.
• Bishop Murray established a Blue Ribbon Committee in 2001 to review the status of the four Catholic elementary schools and Hackett Catholic Central High School and to recommend improvements.
• The Blue Ribbon Committee made a number of recommendations for change which the Bishop and the Pastors of Greater Kalamazoo took under advisement.
• In 2002 the Pastors of Greater Kalamazoo agreed to initiate unification of the schools by hiring an Executive Director and forming an advisory Board for Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo.
• In March 2006, Bishop James A. Murray formally authorized formation of the Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo Board to provide advice and counsel. The Board consists of all pastors of participating parishes, lay members of the earlier Board whose terms have not expired, and one representative from each of the school's Local Advisory Councils.
  • Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo Participating Pastors
    • Rev. David Adams-St. Ann, Gull Lake
    • Rev. Kevin Covert-St. Catherine, Portage
    • Rev. Lawrence Farrell-St. Monica, Kalamazoo
    • Msgr. Michael Hazard-St. Joseph, Kalamazoo
    • Msgr. Thomas Martin-St. Augustine, Kalamazoo
    • Rev. James O'Leary-St. Ambrose, Parchment
    • Rev. Kenneth Schmidt-St. Thomas More, Kalamazoo
    • Rev. Robert Sirico-St. Mary, Kalamazoo
  • Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo (CSGK) Lay Members
    • Ballard Jay Yelton III, President
    • Julie Walen, Vice President
    • Barry Bedford, Treasurer
    • Frank Cody, Secretary
    • Patrick Sorek, Hackett Representative
    • Ed Amat, St. Augustine Representative
    • Jennifer Niesen, St. Monica Representive
  • Ex-Officio Participants
  • Timothy Eastman, Principal
  • Nina LeSuer, Principal
  • Andra Zommers. Principal
  • Bob Copeland, Director of Finance
  • Karen, Weishaar, Development Director
  • Margaret Erich, Office of Schools Representative
• Articles of Incorporation for Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo have been filed with the State of Michigan. The Corporation is organized for the following purposes:
1. To operate and act exclusively for educational and charitable purposes including receiving and administering assets exclusively for such educational and charitable purposes.
2. To promote and manage the Catholic schools under its supervision consistent with applicable local, state and federal requirements and the principles, doctrines and Canons of Catholicism.
3. To coordinate tuition and finance, fund-raising, development, marketing, public relations, facility maintenance, expansion and replacement, and strategic planning for the Schools.
4. To conduct any and all such activities and exercise any and all such powers as are necessary to the achievement of the purposes set forth in the foregoing three (3) subparagraphs, subject to any restrictions on such activities imposed by the Articles of Incorporation, the Bylaws of the Corporation or the Canons of Catholicism.
• The Board has appointed a committee to recommend corresponding future administrative structures and roles. The Board will meet in closed session to act on strategic, policy and financial matters. Administrators will make routine operating decisions. Further announcements will be determined by Bishop James A. Murray.

Strategic Plan
Bishop James A. Murray in April 2005 established a new vision for Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo. View Bishop Murray's new vision for Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo.*

Bishop Murray's vision conforms to the recent statement on Catholic schools by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). View the USCCB statement on Catholic schools.*

When the new governance structure is implemented, the Strategic Plan for Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo will be reviewed and updated for consistency with Bishop Murray's new vision.

View the Strategic Plan Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo September 2003

View the Blue Ribbon Report*
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*Please note, these downloadable files are stored in PDF format. Before you can view or read them you must have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Download Acrobat Reader free from Adobe at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

Unified Schools
The Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo includes Hackett Catholic Central High School and two K-8 elementary schools:

• Hackett Catholic Central High School
  1000 W Kilgore Rd, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008
  Phone: (269) 381-2646 Fax: (269) 381-3919
  Grades 9-12, 455 students
  Principal: Timothy Eastman
  http://www.hackettcc.org
• St. Augustine Cathedral School
  600 West Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, Michigan 49007
  Phone: (269) 349-1945 Fax: (269) 349-1085
  Grades K-8, 349 students
  Principal: Andra Zommers
  http://st.augustine-elementary.com
  
• St. Monica Elementary School
  530 W Kilgore Rd., Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008
  Phone: (269) 345-2444 Fax: (269) 345-8534
  Grades K-8, 487 students
  Principal: Nina LeSuer
  http://stmonicakzoo.org

Two other Catholic elementary schools, St. Joseph Elementary and St. Mary Elementary, have been brought together into St. Augustine Cathedral School and St. Monica School.

Mission Statement
In partnership with parents, we provide the Kalamazoo-area community a Catholic faith-based education that focuses on high achievement, a caring environment and responsible sharing of time, talent and treasure.

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