The Kuemper Catholic School System annual town hall meeting went virtual last (Thursday) night with alumni, parents and stakeholders meeting to keep them apprised of the school’s status and other important issues. One of the main purposes of this meeting is to keep the community apprised of their long-term goals and the progress made on them. Kuemper’s current five-year plan extends through 2022, and President, John Steffes, says they have accomplished much of what was identified in 2017 as key issues for the school, particularly in the areas of Catholic identity and governance.
Academic excellence is a top priority for all staff members at Kuemper, and a critical part their effort to improve student achievement is through development of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). This groups teachers together by age or instructional subject areas, and Steffes says this has created a more cohesive educational environment at Kuemper.
Like many districts in the area, rural population decline and the resulting decrease in enrollment is a topic administrators track very closely. Through financial assistance, such as the Monsignor Lafferty Tuition Foundation, Steffes says they are able to provide a quality Catholic education to many students who would be unable to attend otherwise. He adds the effort to grow their KuemperCares program and invite more people from the region into the Kuemper family continues.
As the current five-year plan winds down, they will soon begin identifying their priorities for the next five years with help from Superintendent, Patty Lansink. An estimated 150 Catholic schools closed their doors permanently during 2020, and Lansink says a central part of their plan, for Kuemper and the diocese at large, will be maintaining Catholic education into the foreseeable future.
For more details on Kuemper’s current five-year plan, visit their website at www.kuemper.org.
