FOR  RELEASE ON 2/6/10
CONTACT:  Sally A. Oberski
Director of Communications
419-244-6711 x 148
soberski@dodiocese.org
www.toledodiocese.org

BISHOP HOFFMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN FREMONT APPROVED FOR 2010-2011 ACADEMIC YEAR

February 6, 2010 – Toledo, OH - The reorganization and unification of Catholic education in Fremont took a step forward this week with the approval of Toledo diocesan Bishop Leonard P. Blair to create Bishop Hoffman Catholic School for the 2010-2011 academic year. Bishop James Hoffman, a Fremont native and son of Saint Ann Church in Fremont  served as the Bishop of the Toledo Diocese from 1981 until his death on February 8, 2003.

The new school will incorporate two elementary schools and one high school into a new model for Catholic education in Fremont. A proposed model for reorganization of the local Catholic schools for the next school year was presented to the bishop in December 2009. A committee of Catholic School professionals and volunteers known as The Holy Family Formation Team (HFFT) reviewed six potential organizational models throughout last year.

The current Sacred Heart parish school building will become Bishop Hoffman School-East Campus for grades Pre-K through grade 3. The current Saint Joseph parish school building will become Bishop Hoffman School-West Campus for grades 4 through 8, and the current Saint Joseph Central Catholic High School will become Bishop Hoffman High School for grades 9 through 12. As students will not be attending classes in the Saint Ann school building, the parish will find an alternative use for the building that is consistent with the purposes of a Catholic Community.

The HFFT committee, which includes representatives of all local parishes, believes that the plan holds the most promise for superior growth opportunities for their young people, financial stability for the schools and a just pay scale for teachers and staff. Carol Collins, the facilitator for the process said she witnessed a deep appreciation for the formation team’s Catholic faith, and a very strong and vital commitment to Catholic Education.  “This unification is a next step for them, as they work to provide a superior Catholic Education for the students in the Fremont area.”

The process of selecting a superintendent to lead the reorganized school has begun. The superintendent will be responsible for hiring administrators, teachers and staff and developing curriculum in accordance with Diocesan guidelines and decisions on salaries, tuition rates and parish subsidies.

According to Saint Ann pastor Father Thomas Extejt, "We are very pleased that Bishop Blair granted our request to name the consolidated school after Bishop Hoffman.  He was devoted to Catholic schools, as I know well from my 19 years as pastor of parishes with schools in Toledo's central city.”

Father David Bruning, Pastor of Saint Joseph parish added “I am pleased that Bishop Blair has given approval to the hard work of our Holy Family Formation Team in submitting this proposal. Much work remains to be done, but we are on the right path for our schools."

Father Ken Lill, Pastor of Sacred Heart parish acknowledges that while much work has been accomplished, there is more to do for the unification. “I am excited and optimistic about the future of education in the Fremont community. “

The Diocese of Toledo, established April 15, 1910 encompasses 8222 square miles in a mixture of urban and rural areas that spans 19 counties across Northwest Ohio, serving 321,516 Catholics in 128 parishes. The diocese includes Allen, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, and Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot counties.

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