Who are the Members?

John (Jack) Ready, chairman, (appointed by the Pastors of
St. Mary, St. Michael, and St. John parishes)
Molly Roehrig, appointed by St. Michael Parish
Jean Walsh Foster, appointed by St. John Parish
Bill Kipf, appointed by St. Mary Parish
Kenyon Calender, appointed by SMCC

Why was the Commission formed?
The Pastors of the three parishes and the administration of SMCC formed this Commission in November, 2008 because of their shared commitment and desire to continue the tremendous legacy of Catholic education in the city of Monroe. They and charged the commissionhem with this task: To prepare a recommendation on ways to ensure effective stewardship of our shared resources as we provide quality Catholic education for the students in our schools. The Commission was asked to complete the recommendations by the end of the 2008-2009 school year.

Has the commission been asked to prepare a plan for merger
of the schools?
No. While some form of consolidation or pooling of resources could conceivably be a recommendation, we the commission have not been directed to reach a foregone conclusion. Our conclusion and recommendation will solely be based on our research and fact finding. No one on this commission is trying to influence the overall recommendation with his/her own agenda. Members of this commission are not representing his/her school’s opinions or wishes in terms of consolidation. This commission is strictly a research and fact gathering commission. The Pastors will have the ultimate voice for their parish.

How does the commission plan to do its work?
We The commission intends to gather information, solicit constituent input, consult outsides sources, brainstorm, and then, prayerfully consider options before making a recommendation.

When will parents, parishioners, and other groups in the community have an opportunity for input?
The Commission is planning a community input session (or sessions, if needed) for late January. No specific date has been set. The Commission’s first task is to gather factual information, such as mission statements, enrollment history and projections, tuition structure, school performance data, parish support and subsidy information, governance structure, and endowment data. We Commissioners are also meeting with administrators and teachers in the schools as well as officials from the Education office of the Archdiocese of Detroit. We It anticipates completing most of our the preliminary fact gathering by the middle of January 2009. A public session will be scheduled shortly thereafter.

What happens after the recommendation is completed?
The Pastors, in collaboration with their parish councils, the Vicar, the Vicariate Pastoral Council, the Archdiocesan schools office and the Archbishop will make all decisions. The Commission has been asked to study the issues and make a recommendation.

Once the recommendation is made, and the commission's job is over, is consolidation happening next year?
To provide any date of consolidation assumes that consolidation is indeed happening, which is not our assumption as a commission. Our task is to research and investigate what is currently happening in the schools, what is best for the future viability of Catholic education in Monroe, and what past practices at other locations have been implemented to sustain a quality Catholic education.

If all the schools are healthy in terms of enrollment, why do we need to have a commission to research this?
Why do we need to be doing this in the first place? It should always be the goal of a school to look into the future; hence the need for five year or ten year plans. With the current economy, people moving out of Michigan, and the increase cost of Catholic education, it is best to be proactive instead of reactive. During a healthy enrollment period is when investigation should take place so there is no pressure to come up with a quick and drastic solution if that were needed. Every school system, both public and private, is looking at how to best cope with the economy and rising costs of education.

How can I stay updated on what the commission is doing? What is recommended in the end?
We are hoping to provide for open communication. Updates will be available on the website when they are available. There will be opportunity for public opinion. Times and dates for that will be given through the parish bulletins and/or through school announcements. The final recommendation will be given to the Pastors and they will determine how to disseminate this information. The commission will have a website before the end of the year. The website will contain: A description of the commission’s task Biographical information about the commissioners as well as contact information Frequently Asked Questions Information about public input sessions (This information will also be disseminated through the schools, parish bulletins, and the newspaper) A mailbox where you can send questions and comments to the commission Periodic status reports What can I do? We ask for your prayers, open-mindedness, and positive thoughts. We also ask for your input. We ask that you are patient with us as we work to provide the best recommendation possible and understand that we might not have all of the answers you want. Please trust that we are working for the best Catholic education for Monroe.