Today, staff, pastors, faculties and parents of children at the Southeast Baltimore Catholic Academy (SEBCA) were informed that the management of the consortium of five, pre-K to 8th grade campuses and the Our Lady of the Rosary High School campus in southeast Baltimore has been realigned, effective immediately.
Until today, governance for the academy had consisted of a President and small staff, guided by an elected Board of Directors. The purpose of centralizing staffing for the six, formerly independent Catholic schools was to gain efficiencies that would strengthen and protect the survival of the schools, which operate in a challenging environment.
Established in 1997, SEBCA had not been able to achieve satisfactory progress in stabilizing its member campuses. In an effort to improve this situation, the former governance of the academy is disestablished and responsibility for future leadership has been assumed by the Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Dr. Ronald J. Valenti, and senior staff of the Archdiocesan Division of Catholic Schools. The Board of Directors will be reconstituted with Dr. Valenti serving as Board Chairman and the pastors of the sponsoring parishes as Board Members. SEBCA principals will serve as staff to the Board. The elimination of the costs involved in staffing a central academy office will provide some immediate fiscal relief.
Education within the campuses will not be affected by the change in leadership. Campuses that make up SEBCA include: Bishop John Neumann Campus ((3500 Foster Ave.), St. Elizabeth of Hungary Campus (27 N. Lakewood Ave.), Fr. Kolbe Campus (1035 S. Kenwood Ave.), Our Lady of Fatima Campus (6400 E. Pratt St.), Our Lady of Pompei Campus (201 S. Conkling St.), and Our Lady of the Rosary High School Campus (420 S. Chester St.). 976 students in grades pre-K through 12 are educated at SEBCA member campuses.
Point of contact is Ray Kempisty at 410-547-5378.