St. Francis de Sales School is moving forward with plans to extend Catholic high school education further south in the Diocese of Wilmington. The school is currently enrolling students for a ninth grade, scheduled to open this fall on its parish campus in Salisbury, Md.
Principal Debra Traum said three families had signed contracts as of March 13, a commitment that included paying a $500 deposit. Several dozen families showed up at an interest meeting earlier in March, and an open house is scheduled for March 23 from 5-8 p.m. The school is located at 500 Camden Ave., Salisbury, MD 21801.
Traum said there has been interest in opening a high school on the Lower Shore for decades. A committee has been working on this current effort for about three years. The preparation included having graduate students from Salisbury University and the education consulting firm Meitler conduct separate feasibility studies about the viability of a high school. The results from both were positive, Traum said. The committee then presented a business plan to Bishop Koenig and the pastor, Father Chris LaBarge.
The bishop, superintendent of schools Louis De Angelo and Father LaBarge gave their approval.
“The bishop is charging us to try to get 20 students by the middle of April so that we know that we are solid to start this fall,” Traum said.
A donor has stepped forward to help potential high school families, Traum said. If a student enrolls by April 15, his or her family will receive $1,000 toward their tuition from the donor.
“They’re calling it a double match,” she said. “That’s kind of exciting. And it’s not need-based or anything.”
Traum said St. Francis de Sales is hoping to attract students not only from their elementary school, but also from Most Blessed Sacrament School in Ocean Pines, as well as from the local public school systems.
“We pull from a very large geographical area on the shore and into Delaware,” she said.
Currently, the closest Catholic high school options are Holy Cross High School in Dover, Del., and SS. Peter and Paul High School in Easton, Md. Both are a bit more than an hour from Salisbury, Traum said. Traum has been principal at St. Francis de Sales for eight years, and she has been a member of the school community for 25. She used a personal example to describe how long a high school has been under discussion.
“They talked about a high school when my son was in kindergarten, and he’s now 37. So, it’s been back and forth,” she said.
The commitment from Father LaBarge has made a difference, De Angelo said. He is allowing the high school to use a building on the parish campus as it starts up.
“The generosity of Father LaBarge has changed the playing field. We have a place where Catholic education can grow into ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th grade. That’s the goal,” he said.
Traum explained that the high school will begin in the existing parish conference room and library. Students will use the elementary school science lab, music room and other facilities as needed. The committee’s goal is to begin construction of a small building on the campus in about two years. It will have four to six rooms.
“We’re not only planning for the ninth grade next year, but we’re planning beyond. The phrase we’re saying is that we’re ‘extending excellence,’” she said. “We’re going to start small, but we’re going to keep right on going.”
A small enrollment will allow St. Francis de Sales High School to individualize the education for each student, she said. It will focus on both college and career readiness. Traum will be the principal for at least the first year, with assistant principal Megan Duick helping as well as teaching math.
Advancement director Sarah Passarell said parents often tell them that students should attend a large high school.
“But parents also know that 14- and 15-year-olds are still forming who they are,” she said in a statement. “High school should be a place where students are guided, supported and surrounded by positive role models as they grow academically, socially and spiritually.”
De Angelo said the intent of the diocese to provide a Catholic education from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, but the resources to do so are not always available. That has changed in Salisbury.
“The desire of the people to make this happen helped them to find the resources to do so. We’re certainly supportive of it,” De Angelo said. “We’re looking forward to this growing and developing.”
