Pictured: Kuemper President John Steffes presents during Monday’s town hall meeting with stakeholders at the KHS library.
Around 40 people gathered in the Kuemper Catholic High School (KHS) Library last night (Monday) for the parochial school’s annual town hall meeting, where staff provided updates on all aspects of the system. Every five years, the Sioux City Diocese requires Catholic schools within its borders to conduct long-term planning sessions and set goals. Kuemper President John Steffes says they’ve managed to meet nearly all the ones they set in 2019.
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Steffes highlighted Kuemper’s Faith Forward Capital Campaign, which has surpassed the $11 million mark and is nearing the $12 million “Victory Goal” for the school. A significant portion of that funding will be used to help close the gap in teacher pay compared to public schools and maintain Kuemper’s various attendance centers and facilities. Steffes is happy to report that enrollment has continuously increased for the past decade, and Kuemper Catholic now serves over 1,230 pre-K through 12th-grade students. He says finding space for elementary classes is the challenge now.
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Kuemper hired BCDM Architects out of Omaha to complete a facilities survey for the school, and the company is scheduled to present its findings to the school board today (Tuesday). 7-12 Principal Ted Garringer also introduced Kuemper’s “Portraits of Graduate” initiative, which seeks to create a comprehensive vision of what skills and values Kuemper students have as they prepare to enter the workplace or post-secondary education.
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Central office staff and finance committee members also reviewed recent budget figures. Of Kuemper’s approximately $10 million annual budget, about 35% of its income comes from Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) through the state, 29 percent are from parish investments, and tuition and fees make up 12.5 percent. Staff notes the biggest difference following ESA implementation is a much higher retention rate, as cost is no longer as much of a barrier for families wanting to pursue a Catholic education at Kuemper.