NEW YORK, May 17, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- St. Aloysius School, an innovative, pre-kindergarten through eighth grade Catholic school, located in Central Harlem, whose mission is to educate at-risk inner-city children, is transitioning from a parish school governance model to become an independent Catholic school, sponsored by the New York Province of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). Like most Jesuit-sponsored schools in New York, St. Aloysius School will be governed by an independent, two-tiered Board structure -- a Board of Members (appointed by the Jesuit Provincial) and a Board of Trustees (drawn largely from the current St. Aloysius Advisory Board).
The Jesuits of the New York Province have staffed St. Aloysius Parish and School since 1985, but as is typical for parish schools, St. Aloysius has operated under the auspices of the Archdiocese of New York. While the Archdiocese will continue to be an important collaborator, providing professional development and other resources to St. Aloysius through its educational arm, the Jesuits will now assume a more direct role in assuring the school's mission, reinforcing its core values and enhancing its reputation for academic excellence.
Under the new governance structure, St. Aloysius School will continue to help disadvantaged students, from 3 to 14 years of age, reach their full potential. No substantive changes are expected in the school's comprehensive, academically challenging, arts-infused and literature-based curriculum. The school's four-part educational structure, which includes a pre-school, elementary school, and two single-gender middle schools, will remain in place. The school's programs, which include an extended day, summer school and summer camp, will continue to address children's developmental, social, spiritual, and educational needs.
Scholarship assistance – from the Inner-City Scholarship Fund and through the generosity of the School's friends and supporters -- will continue to be available for qualified students enrolled at the school and in the School's Graduate Support Program -- a program which provides tuition assistance and critical services for alumni during high school.
Edmund C. Duffy, Chair of St. Aloysius's Advisory Board, said, "St. Aloysius already is on the cutting edge of inner-city education. It has a formidable 20-year record of achievement that will be enhanced by this new operating structure, with the School's educational mission overseen by the Jesuits and financial and operating responsibility placed in the hands of its Board of Trustees. This new governance will enable St. Aloysius to expand on its impressive performance while serving as a model for effective inner-city schools in New York and around the country."
Mr. Duffy added, "As a school community we are deeply committed to providing families who live in Harlem with access to the best possible education for their children. With this vision in mind, we are immensely grateful to the many individuals, foundations, and corporations whose generosity accounts for 80% of St. Aloysius School's operating expenses."
Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York, said, "We applaud the excellent performance of St. Aloysius School and the extraordinary impact it has on its students and the surrounding community. The success of St. Aloysius is a testament to the life-transforming power of a Catholic education."
Rev. David S. Ciancimino, S.J., Jesuit Provincial, said, "We are delighted to strengthen our bond with St. Aloysius School. We look forward to working in partnership with the Archdiocese of New York, the Board of Trustees and the deeply committed educators at St. Aloysius. We would hope that the increased Jesuit involvement in St. Aloysius will enable this great school to continue its crucial mission of providing a quality education to underserved children from families of modest means."
In cooperation with lay educators in New York City, the Jesuits of the New York Province sponsor four schools that are members of the NativityMiguel Network of Schools – a national network of more than 60 schools with missions centered on serving the urban poor. Three of these schools are middle schools: Nativity Mission Center on the Lower East Side; Brooklyn Jesuit Prep in Crown Heights, Brooklyn; and St. Ignatius School in Hunts Point, Bronx. St. Aloysius School is the fourth Jesuit-sponsored school in New York City in the NativityMiguel Network. The New York Province Jesuits also sponsor seven high schools and endorse an eighth – many of which are high schools of choice for St. Aloysius graduates.
St. Aloysius School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
Please see the accompanying Fact Sheet for more information about St. Aloysius School: http://media.globenewswire.com/cache/12556/file/8238.pdf