vision 2030

Vision 2030

A great deal has changed in our organization over the past decade and a half. Although the corporate merger of Cathedral Prep and Villa Maria Academy happened in 2009, the consolidation of the two student bodies took place in 2022. Mother Teresa Academy came to life in 2018 and is a K-8 school that supports educationally underserved families in the City of Erie. We endeavored to understand the challenges and opportunities we currently face in direct and specific terms and lay out the best path for the future of our schools and Villa Maria Cathedral Preparatory Catholic School System (VMCPCSS).

The strategic plan was developed with our ambitions to be a leader in Catholic education and to align with the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools’ four domains of Mission and Catholic Identity, Academic Excellence, Governance and Leadership, and Operational Vitality. Many individuals and groups including the Board of Directors, administration, faculty, current students, parents, and alumni were involved in the development of the plan and participated in surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews. Key to the development of the strategic plan was the Planning Task Force that included representatives from various constituencies and actively provided leadership, insights, and expertise that ensured the success of the planning process.

A summary of major goals follows. This plan is ambitious and forward thinking with the goal of continued excellence and long-range viability for generations of Prep and MTA students to come.

Mission and Catholic Identity

  • Clarify the mission of VMCPCSS and identify and codify core values to help the organization develop priorities and make decisions.

  • Engage in a process to identify specific ways to articulate and live the mission and core values throughout both schools.

  • Provide regular faith formation and prayer experiences for faculty, staff, and students on both campuses.

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excellence

Academic Excellence

  • Enhance the preparatory programs and student experiences by increasing experiential learning opportunities on and off campus.

  • Identify and establish four to six signature programs to be delivered at a high level of excellence that will set our schools apart from other elementary and high schools.

  • Develop a better understanding of and more precisely articulate who the school serves, the demonstrated student needs, and identify programming and personnel needed to serve the student body of the future.

  • Create a facilities master plan aligned with the goals of this strategic plan and these signature programs.

Governance and Leadership

  • Engage in training for the Board of Directors to support growth in their planning and governance role; adjust board representation to align with strategic goals and to better represent the schools’ constituencies.

  • Advance the management team and their individual and collective capacities to align with strategic goals and operational effectiveness.

  • Develop a plan for faculty and staff compensation and benefits that is both appropriate and competitive; develop programs to acknowledge and recognize excellence in faculty and staff.

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Operational Vitality

  • Identify target enrollment metrics and develop plans to achieve these targets using market data and trends.

  • Develop strategic marketing plans to support recruitment and retention of students.

  • Update the tuition assistance program to align with strategic enrollment goals.

  • Develop a long-range financial projection for the two schools with appropriate financial controls, specific benchmarks, transparent reporting, and understanding by stakeholders.

  • Increase support through cultivating and stewarding major donors, developing major giving initiatives, and promoting planned giving to ensure the long-term financial viability of the two schools.

Strategic Planning Committee Members

Casey Bowes ’94             Committee Chair; Member, Board of Directors; and Parent

Sara Kallner ’93VMA      Chairperson, Board of Directors and Parent

Dr. Chris Clark ’87           Vice Chairperson, Board of Directors and Parent

Mike Vereb                       Member, Board of Directors and Parent

Kevin Smith                      President and Chief Executive Officer

Jason Ladouceur              Vice President of Academics and Student Affairs

Will Pituch ’01VMA        Vice President of Academics and Student Affairs

Joanne Rogers                  Vice President of Finance and Administration

Sonya Whitman               Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Communications

Dr. Caitlin Clark                Strategic Planning Committee Member and Parent

Philip Katen ’95               Strategic Planning Committee Member

Jerry Wegley                    Strategic Planning Committee Member