The Catholic High School of Lower Delaware & The Eastern Shore of Maryland

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Expanding Excellence.

Saint Francis de Sales is now enrolling for 9th Grade.

Join us this Thursday, March 5, at 6:30 PM for an informational evening to learn more about our high school expansion.

During this session, we will share:

• Academic curriculum details
• Course structure and class flow
• Vision and expectations for 9th grade
• Opportunities for student growth
• Time for open Q&A

Families will also have the opportunity to secure one of the first 20 seats for our inaugural class.

If you are considering high school options, whether your child is in 7th, 8th, or beyond, this evening is for you.

If you would prefer to speak privately or schedule a personal tour, we would be happy to connect with you directly. Please call us at (410) 749-9907 to learn more.

We look forward to sharing what’s ahead.

As we shared with you recently, we are studying the possibility of a new Catholic highschool in the lower Eastern Shore area, and we are conducting a survey to determine potential interest and support for the new Catholic high school. This survey is more detailed and targeted than the survey that was conducted in November 2023.

The survey is now open. People can respond to the survey between now and May 28, 2024. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Please submit only one response per household. You can access the survey at https://survey.meitler.com/s3/New-School-Study-Lower-Eastern-Shore.

The survey is particularly important to those of you who currently have children in our Catholic schools. We ask you to respond even if you do not plan to enroll your children at the new school.

Please note that we are interested in hearing from a wide range of people, including
families who do not currently have children in Catholic schools. So, after you take the survey yourself, please feel free to share the survey link with friends and neighbors who do not send their children to Catholic schools.

Thank you for your support and participation.

New Catholic High School Study - Lower Eastern Shore New Catholic High School Study - Lower Eastern Shore.

An update on the status of the New High School Study for an area serving Most Blessed Sacrament and St. Francis de Sales Schools and Parishes.

April 11, 2024

As many may know we had a great response to our last Survey to determine the general interest in continuing to study the need for a new Catholic High School in our area.

The High School Task Force was encouraged to proceed to the next step which was to hire the Meitler Company which has over 50 years in helping Diocese and Schools to make smarter decisions and to ensure a stronger mission. Meitler’s strength is in researching, collating and analyzing demographic, enrollment,
development, and financial data to ask the right questions and provide a strong foundation for planning.

We will be meeting with the Meitler Consultants on May 1st and 2nd. They will be holding Parent Focus groups on May 1st on each of the campuses. On May 2nd they will be meeting with Pastors, Principals, and County Planners to begin to collect the data they need to determine the Enrollment Potential and Community Interest of a new Catholic High School. Later this summer there will a more in-depth Survey sent out to all Parents and interested parties to gather more information.

A final report is expected to be delivered later in the summer in August. Based on those results the Task Force will decide if it makes sense to move forward to the next phase of study which would include Financial Planning and potential Site Analysis.
We were fortunate to have the cost of Phase 1 of the study funded by a local Foundation.

If we proceed to Phase 2 of the study, we will have to raise additional funds to cover that cost. Our Parish communities will hear about that when the time is right.

If you have any questions or would like to donate your Land, Time, Talent, or Treasure please contact our Local Coordinator, Tom Monahan, via email … [email protected]

High School Task Force Update

The St. Francis de Sales High School Task Force has been meeting monthly for about one year. With the blessings of Father LaBarge, Superintendent Dr. Lou De Angelo, and Bishop Koenig, this grass roots team is actively exploring the possibility of a Catholic High School to serve the Lower Eastern Shore. The group consists of parishoners, parents and educators from both St. Francis de Sales and Most Blessed Sacrament.

We collaborated with the Salisbury University Business Department to participate in a preliminary survey of our immediate combined parish communities. The purpose of this was to generate a consensus of interest in this project. All involved were impressed and inspired by the results which were very positive. The more than 600 responses to the survey were largely in favor of a Catholic high school and many offered to help in a variety of ways. The majority of people were willing to drive between fifteen and thirty minutes to a Catholic High School.

The Task Force has therefore agreed to move forward with a professional feasibility study to be completed by the Meitler consulting firm. This involves comprehensive data research and analysis. Meitler has developed an approach with data gathering, strategic thinking, problem solving, and decision making which has proven successful in Catholic dioceses and schools throughout the country. Of course, this two phase process includes a substantial financial commitment.

The High School Task Force has secured $36,000 for phase I. This will take about six months to complete. Pending a favorable outcome of phase I, we will begin to fundraise for phase II in the fall. The conclusion of this second phase will yield a formal business plan with suggested finance, building, and staffing timelines.

At this time we simply ask for prayers from you to support our mission. As will most Catholic Schools, this school will focus strongly on academics and our Catholic faith. All stakeholders will be contacted again in the near future for the purpose of gathering more information and data that will help us in our journey of faith that will establish a Catholic High school that will serve the Lower Eastern Shore. The development of ethical community leaders that will remain here on the shore is vital.

If you have questions or suggestions please email Sarah Passarell at [email protected].

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Want to share your thoughts about a new Catholic high school?

The feasibility study focusing on the potential new Catholic high school for the lower Delaware and parts of Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset counties in the Maryland area which is a part of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, continues to move forward with great energy.

A Catholic High School Task Force is working to keep the process on pace and provide leadership and expertise throughout the study. The most frequent question being asked is, what is the vision for this new school? What could/should it look
like?

The proposed new Catholic high school would provide a vibrant and rigorous learning environment where the teachings, traditions and values of our Catholic faith will be experienced in all areas of school life. A strong and authentic Catholic identity will empower students to encounter, articulate and live the beliefs and life of the Catholic Church modeled by the life of Jesus Christ. This school community will provide a variety of experiences to develop the body, mind and spirit of each student as they become the person God intends them to be.

This new high school will reflect and serve the many parish communities and the varied cultural, social, economic and faith communities of lower Delaware, and Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset counties in Maryland. Parents, families and local communities will be valued and invited to actively engage in the
educational, formational, social and extracurricular life of the school and students.

As the Pastor of Saint Francis de Sales I am supportive of this initiative. I realize that after graduating from eighth grade here at SFdS our students end up in five or six different Schools. There is very little opportunity to enrich their fellowship with their school companions.

At the present time, community demographic statistics are being gathered and analyzed along with parish and Catholic school enrollment trends in the lower Delaware, and Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset counties in Maryland. The goal of the data research is to provide a foundation for determining the strength of the student pool in areas from which the proposed school could draw enrollment and ensure sustainability for the future.

Additionally, the Consultants at Beacon and Salisbury University have prepared a market research survey for families in the study area to determine the interest in a new high school and its potential enrollment. Combined with a market research survey in October 2023, the data findings and results will demonstrate if this new school program is feasible. If there is sufficient interest and enrollment, this determination leads to the next phase,
which includes financial analysis for the proposed school, estimating costs, creating a funding model and establishing a timeline for next steps in the planning process.

I believe it is important that a new High School must be built on a solid foundation.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Chris Labarge
Pastor of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church

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Do you want to share your thoughts about a new Catholic high school in our area?

Then please take our Survey!

The Diocese of Wilmington’s feasibility study focuses on the potential new Catholic high school for the lower Delaware and parts of Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset counties in the Maryland area continues to move forward with great energy.

With Bishop Koenig’s permission and under the direction of Dr. Lou DeAngelo, the Superintendent of the Diocese Catholic Schools, a Catholic High School Task Force, has developed a Survey with the help of Salisbury University that will assess the need and support for such a Catholic High School.

Combined with a market research survey, the data findings and results will demonstrate if this new school program is feasible. If there is sufficient interest and enrollment, this determination leads to the next phase, which includes financial analysis for the proposed school, estimating costs, creating a funding model and
establishing a timeline for next steps in the planning process.

Here is the link to our Survey!!!

Click on this URL or enter it into your browser:

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