LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear St. Francis High School Community,

When you step onto the grounds of St. Francis High School, it stirs something within you. The spirit of the school is palpable. When I walk the halls, I get a feeling of continuity as I think of the experiences my children had as students here in the early 2000s and my wife had as a student here in the 1970s. The sense of identity and community has persevered across generations – even as our campus has changed.

Phenomenal things have happened and continue to happen at our school. We have an outstanding and committed faculty and staff who partner not only with our students but with their families as well. Enrollment is steadily increasing, and our students continue to attend top-tier colleges and pursue rewarding careers. We have upheld our calling to foster a disciplined, caring, and Christ-filled environment that is fiscally responsible.

We are living as disciples of Jesus Christ through the cultivation of our faith by loving God and serving others. The mission of our school remains the same – but our outdated facilities inhibit our progress as a preeminent college preparatory school.

As you would expect, the areas of our building that date back to our founding days haven’t fared well. While our students dream of innovation, they navigate overcrowded hallways and seek collaboration spaces. We’re teaching math in classrooms that haven’t been updated since the invention of the hand-held calculator. We encourage our students to take care of themselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally but haven’t modernized our security features to meet today’s standards for school safety. Our students are flourishing; our infrastructure is faltering. Progress can’t wait any longer.

As we embark on our next 65 years and beyond, we are committed to offering strong academics that define quality, college preparatory, Catholic education. Today, we ask you to join us on this urgent mission for an enhanced learning environment. On the pages that follow, you’ll find an overview of the projects of the utmost priority that were identified through focus groups and concept development in partnership with internal and external key stakeholders and our Board of Directors.

You’ll also see how you can help. Please prayerfully consider your involvement. Gifts of all amounts are needed, appreciated, and continue the traditions of giving and gratitude that have laid the foundation for our next generation of success.

Pace e Bene – Saint Francis, pray for us!

President Phil Kerr