Category: General

It is with immense joy and a spirit of anticipation that we announce the appointment of Mr. Francis Dempsey as the new Principal of Father Allouez Catholic School, commencing July 1, 2024 before the start of the 2024-2025 academic year.

Mr. Dempsey brings with him a wealth of experience and a profound commitment to Catholic education. In recent years, he has served diligently as the principal of St. Dominic Catholic School in Brookfield, WI, under the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Prior to his principalship, he began his career right here at GRACE’s St. Thomas More Catholic School and St. Matthew’s Catholic School (now known as Father Allouez Catholic School) before he dedicated over seven years to teaching Social Studies in both public and Catholic schools in the Milwaukee area.

A proud alumnus of St. Norbert College, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History and holds a Secondary Education Certification, Mr. Dempsey continued his academic journey at Marquette University, attaining a Masters of Education in Educational Policy and Leadership. His educational background, coupled with his devotion to Catholic values, makes him an exceptional choice to lead our Father Allouez Catholic School community.

Mr. Dempsey and his family are eager to return to the Green Bay area, bringing with them a renewed enthusiasm to serve our beloved GRACE community. A fun fact about Mr. Dempsey is that he also works with the National Football League as a Real-Time Entry (RTE) Statistician, providing real-time statistics from the field during Green Bay Packers home games!

GRACE President Kim Desotell remarked, “As distinguished principal Kay Franz retires after a long standing career of service, we are thrilled to announce Mr. Dempsey as our new principal. With his unwavering dedication to Catholic values, commitment to fostering academic excellence, and passion for nurturing a supportive school community, he possesses the foundational skills essential for guiding Father Allouez Catholic School into its next chapter.”

Mr. Dempsey shared, “I am overjoyed and humbled to (re)join the Father Allouez Catholic School Community after a few years away. I believe in a strong partnership between school families and our administration and teachers so that, ultimately, our students succeed. Together, I know that we will do wonderful things that will continue to make the FACS community strong and serve as an exemplar in GRACE and the greater Green Bay Area. I am looking forward to meeting you all and partnering together on this journey. God bless you all!”

As we embark on this new chapter together, let us extend a warm welcome to Mr. Francis Dempsey and his family. With faith as our guide and education as our mission, let us unite in prayerful support as we continue to nurture the hearts and minds of our students.

Father Allouez Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. We are a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. Father Allouez provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.

For more information about FACS, browse our website: https://fatherallouezschool.org.

We are so blessed by dedicated and talented leaders such as Mrs. Kay Franz! Join us in thanking her for her commitment to Catholic Education at our school!

Let’s learn a little bit about Principal Franz:

Q: Principal Franz, why do you choose to work for GRACE?

A: I believe in GRACE as a model for maintaining and sustaining Catholic schools. Having worked in parish schools for many years, I have witnessed the struggle of a single parish trying to support a school. The financial stability of a system allows a principal to concentrate on elevating the quality of education rather than being preoccupied with the financial and managerial aspects of running a school.

Q: What are some fun facts about you?

A: I have worked in the Diocese of Green since 1980 and have calculated that I have served approximately 2200 students and about 1000 families over 43 years! So when I hear someone greet me with “Hi Mrs. Franz” I know we have been together somewhere in my educational journey!

Father Allouez Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. We are a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. Father Allouez provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.

For more information about FACS, browse our website: https://fatherallouezschool.org.

GRACE is committed to partnering with families to ensure that Catholic education remains accessible and affordable, irrespective of income levels. Our dedication to this mission is evident in the various avenues available to manage and reduce tuition costs.

GRACE proudly offers financial aid to support families in need for children enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12th grade, with over 300 students annually benefiting from GRACE Financial Aid. Generous private donors, who share our belief in the value of Catholic education, make it possible to reduce tuition through scholarships and financial aid for families. The average GRACE Financial Aid award is around $1,500 per student. Families can access the GRACE Financial Aid application through our online TADS enrollment management portal.

Tuition costs for 2024-25 are $5,565 for grades K-5, $5,685 for grades 6-8, and $8,385 for Chesterton Academy of St. John Paul II Classical School grades 9-12. Active, registered parishioners completing the parish verification form with our GRACE 23 supporting parishes qualify for a $2,000 tuition reduction (Active Parishioner Incentive) per child enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12th grade.

To cater to individual family needs, GRACE provides an array of tuition reduction opportunities in addition to the aforementioned Active Parishioner Incentive. These include a New Family Referral Incentive, Sibling Incentive, SCRIP Program, Parish and School Scholarships, Payment Plan Options, GRACE Employee Tuition Discount, and a CatholicLink Tuition Discount (for employees who qualify.) Detailed information on these options can be found at gracesystem.org/admissions/tuitions-and-fees/.

In addition, the State of Wisconsin permits residents to leverage private tuition costs. The Wisconsin Parental Choice Program offers vouchers for full tuition at a GRACE school based on family income and eligibility. Families are encouraged to apply between February and April 2024. Find more details at gracesystem.org/admissions/wisconsin-parental-choice/. In addition, families can take advantage of Wisconsin Tax Deductions for private school tuition. Families are encouraged to check with their tax advisors regarding options that may apply to their situations.

GRACE is not just committed to academic excellence and the formation of children, but also to ensuring that quality education is within reach for all families. Our goal is clear: no child should be denied a Catholic education due to financial constraints. We remain steadfast in our commitment to making Catholic education available, accessible, and affordable to every interested family. We know Catholic education is a transformative gift for each child and family.

Father Allouez Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. We are a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. Father Allouez provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.

For more information about FACS, browse our website: https://fatherallouezschool.org.

Besides education and faith, one of the very top priorities of GRACE leadership is to continually elevate educator compensation. Through the support of our Board of Trustees and our sound fiscal practices, GRACE has been able to make significant gains in employee compensation over the past six years. This is part of GRACE’s Strategic Plan to enhance compensation for our valued employees in a fiscally responsible and equitable manner. We are proud of the specific actions, which include:

• GRACE employee wages have increased every year with raises historically between 3% and 5% annually.
• We have developed, and are implementing, a multi-year, sustainable plan to continue to retain and attract top talent, including via competitive compensation which includes, in part, competitive compensation.
• GRACE offers a robust benefits package to teachers and staff, including medical and dental benefits. Candidates seek to join our GRACE employee ranks to take advantage of not only our mission, but our benefit package as well.
• We offer childcare for employees at below market rates through our GRACE Little Saints Child Care program.
• GRACE employees receive attractive tuition discounts so their children can attend GRACE Schools. Tuition discounts are also available for our employees who have children attending Notre Dame Academy as well as St. Norbert College through our CatholicLink relationships.
• Recognizing talent with our GRACE Teacher Excellence Awards through both Top Teacher Talent Awards and a Master’s Path Program which involves a fully paid Master’s Program for teachers through St. Norbert College.
• From time to time, through generous support of donors and sound financial governance, GRACE has been blessed to provide special bonuses to our employees. Such bonuses reward performance achievements enabled through dedicated, valued teachers, staff and administrators – the most recent bonus distributed in January 2024.

These actions are important and vital steps in our ongoing strategic efforts to elevate compensation overall for our valued GRACE employees.

Competitive compensation is crucial for retaining and attracting excellent teachers and staff in all areas of our schools. This in turn, helps to build and support skilled and dedicated professional teams within our schools and our system.

Compensation is only one piece of the puzzle. Our educators feel valued when GRACE parents and students take time to express their genuine thanks for the excellent Catholic education teachers provide. This gratitude, coupled with attractive compensation and benefits makes GRACE an employer of choice and, in turn, contributes to the stability and continuity of our GRACE school communities.

Father Allouez Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. We are a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. Father Allouez provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.

For more information about FACS, browse our website: https://fatherallouezschool.org.

By Nick Anderson
GRACE Board of Trustees Chairperson

I am fortunate to have attended Notre Dame of De Pere for grade school where I received an excellent Catholic education. I was a student there years before Notre Dame and the other Green Bay area Diocese schools came together in what we now know as the GRACE System. Fast forward (many, many years) to 2023 and my wife and I are now blessed to have three students enrolled in a GRACE school and be part of a vibrant school/parish community.

I am a firm believer in the value of Catholic education. I am particularly passionate about keeping that education affordable for all families, especially for our middle-income families who reflect the majority of our community.

That’s where GRACE excels. Today, tuition at GRACE elementary schools is about $3,500 per year for active parishioners. While that amount certainly represents a significant sacrifice – and investment – that parents make for their children, GRACE tuition is reasonable as compared to other Catholic schools. For example, parishioner tuition at a Catholic grade school in the Milwaukee area is $4,990, and in the Fox Valley tuition ranges from $4,300 to $5,300 per year.

How does GRACE do this to maintain affordable tuition? In two ways: (1) By limiting costs, and (2) by drawing funding from a broad range of funding sources.

First, let’s consider the cost side. Today the full actual cost of educating a student in a GRACE school is about $8,000 per year. Here are the components of this cost:

• 64% – Educator pay and benefits
• 11% – Facilities (buildings and grounds, rent, etc.)
• 8% – Medical Insurance Benefits
• 6% – Books and technology
• 4% – Administrative pay and benefits
• 3% – Food service
• 4% – Other operational

This cost would be significantly higher without GRACE. That’s because GRACE provides key economies of scale (think: purchasing textbooks and technology in bulk; limiting administrative costs). Without GRACE each individual school would need to pay for its own benefits, manage facilities, and provide books and technology – all without the robust platform that GRACE provides. Before GRACE was formed, our parishes were investing upwards of 75% of their annual parishioner giving to support their parish schools.

Let’s turn to the funding side. As noted above, tuition of $3,500 falls well short of the $8,000 actual cost to educate a student. Generous support by our community allows GRACE to coordinate funding sources that bridge the gap. Here are GRACE’s key funding sources:

• 36% – Tuition
• 28% – Wisconsin Parental Choice
• 19% – Parish subsidies (remember, there are 23 parishes supporting nine schools).
• 6% – Food Service (e.g. Annual Appeal, grants)
• 6% – Site-level Third Source Funding (e.g. $ from so many great Site Advisory Committee (“SAC”) events/auctions)
• 5% – Centralized GRACE fundraising

Some good news: while GRACE’s overall enrollment has been increasing throughout its existence, GRACE’s reliance on parishes and third source funding (SAC) has, in that same timeframe, decreased. To maintain this positive momentum, centralized GRACE development will be a particular area of focus in the coming year. GRACE recently formed a Development Committee to explore the best ways to fund Catholic education, better collaborate with our outstanding SAC leadership, and support GRACE’s objective to continue to systematically reduce reliance on the amounts that individual parishes invest.

I will admit when I first heard about the GRACE System, I made some faulty assumptions. I jumped to the conclusion that GRACE was an unnecessary bureaucracy – I thought each school could simply run itself. But I was wrong. I have since asked a lot of questions, learned more, witnessed GRACE in action in many facets, and come to realize the wisdom and vision of the parents, priests and Bishop who formed the GRACE system over 12 years ago. The math shows that, absent the power of the GRACE System, any lone individual school would need to charge more tuition and/or engage in far more fundraising in order to manage the administrative and operational costs needed to maintain a high-quality school experience. As a parent I am grateful for the support of our great SAC leaders, volunteers, parishes and donors, all of which help keep Catholic education affordable and attainable to our Green Bay community. And that is the true value of GRACE.

Nick Anderson
GRACE Board of Trustees Chairperson

Father Allouez Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. We are a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. Father Allouez provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.

For more information about FACS, browse our website: https://fatherallouezschool.org.

GRACE Schools will earn 10% of Cathedral Book & Gift in-store and online sales on select Fridays and Saturdays in March. Proceeds will benefit all GRACE Schools SAC third-source fundraising! Shop online now.

Dates:
March 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23

Store Location:
Cathedral Book & Gift
131 S. Madison Street
Green Bay, WI 54301

Store Hours:
Monday-Friday: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Father Allouez Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. We are a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. Father Allouez provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.

For more information about FACS, browse our website: https://fatherallouezschool.org.

Extra extra read all about it! Father Allouez students perform The Newsies!

The Father Allouez students had an amazing performance of The Newsies this month. The Newsies is based on a real strike in July of 1899 that lasted two weeks. 

Mrs. Gracer, Mr. Block, and a cast of 53 students worked together for weeks to put on an amazing show!  Mrs. Grace said “My favorite part of working on the musical was how excited the students got about rehearsal and practicing their songs.” Many parents enjoyed all the rehearsing at home and could be found singing along too!  

The Newsies was a great learning experience for the students, not only from a theatrical standpoint, but from a historical standpoint too.  

Fun fact:  The real-life newsie Kid Blink was the inspiration for the musical’s lead, Jack Kelly. Jack’s right-hand man, Davey, is based on real-life union president David Simmons, while Katherine Plumber is named for Joseph Pulitzer’s daughter.

You can see many amazing photos from performance night and some from rehearsal too!

Father Allouez Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. We are a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. Father Allouez provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.

For more information about FACS, browse our website: https://fatherallouezschool.org.

Building Bridges: Nurturing High School Readiness in Middle School

We often marvel at the rapid growth and development of our children as they transition from elementary to high school. Yet,  in the heart of this journey lies a crucial stepping stone: middle school.Middle school serves as a bridge that connects the foundations laid in elementary school to the challenges and opportunities awaiting in high school. At Father Allouez Catholic School (FACS), we understand the significance of this bridge and are committed to preparing our students for the journey ahead, academically, socially, and spiritually.

Academic Rigor: A Foundation for Success

At FACS Middle School, our curriculum is carefully designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to thrive in high school and beyond. Every subject, from mathematics to language arts, is taught with a focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication. We are passionate about challenging students to reach their full potential and providing the support they need to succeed. Whether it’s through differentiated instruction, one-on-one coaching, or various honors math and advanced ELA classes, we ensure that every student has the opportunity to excel.

Spiritual Growth: Cultivating Values and Morals

At FACS Middle School, we recognize the importance of spiritual development in shaping well-rounded individuals with a strong sense of purpose and morality. Our faith-based approach to education permeates every aspect of school life, from daily prayer and mass to service-learning projects. Through the teachings of love, compassion, and service, we instill in our students a deep appreciation for the worth of every human being.

Wednesday Electives: Exploring Passion and Potential

In addition to our comprehensive academic program, FACS Middle School offers a wide range of Wednesday electives designed to ignite students’ interests and talents. From cooking and broadcasting to band, art, travel, career exploration, and robotics, there’s something for everyone to explore and enjoy. These enriching experiences not only complement our core curriculum but also provide students with valuable opportunities to discover their passions, develop new skills, and cultivate a sense of creativity and curiosity that will serve them well in high school and beyond. To learn more about our Wednesday electives, check out this article in the GRACE Newsletter https://gracesystem.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/GRACE-Newsletter-Fall-2023.pdf Together, let’s build bridges that lead to a future filled with promise, purpose, and endless possibilities.

Call to schedule a tour or to find out more at (920) 336-3230

Next weeks Friday Spotlight, Elementary!

Father Allouez Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. We are a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. Father Allouez provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.

For more information about FACS, browse our website: https://fatherallouezschool.org.

The 2024-25 GRACE calendar is now live! Check it out on the GRACE website here.

Father Allouez Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. We are a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. Father Allouez provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.

For more information about FACS, browse our website: https://fatherallouezschool.org.

It’s here: We are excited to share our Winter Edition of the GRACE Newsletter with you! In this issue, you’ll learn about GRACE’s budgeting, teacher compensation, tuition affordability, our Finance Committee, and more!

Father Allouez Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. We are a private Catholic school serving Preschool and Elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. Father Allouez provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.

For more information about FACS, browse our website: https://fatherallouezschool.org.