SAN DIEGO — Local Catholic schools expect to welcome about 16,000 students to the new academic year, including around 11,000 at the elementary school level and nearly 5,000 high schoolers.
“The beginning of the school year is always an exciting time,” said Diocesan Schools Superintendent Leticia Oseguera.
Most of the 42 elementary schools will hold their first day of classes between Aug. 19 and 21. The earliest start date will be Aug. 14, when Mater Dei Elementary, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Charles Borromeo schools are scheduled to re-open. The last to begin will be Our Lady’s School, one of three schools where campus renovations are underway; students are set to return on Sept. 4.
For the most part, Catholic high school students will go back earlier than their elementary school counterparts. The first day of class will be Aug. 12 at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace and Mater Dei Catholic High School, Aug. 13 at Cathedral Catholic High School, Aug. 14 at Vincent Memorial Catholic High School, Aug. 15 at St. Augustine High School, and Aug. 19 at Cristo Rey San Diego High School.
At three schools, returning students will see the results of recent campus renovation projects. The most significant will be St. John of the Cross School, which is returning to its Lemon Grove campus for the first day of class Aug. 26; in early 2024, after a day of record rainfall caused extensive flood damage, the school was forced to relocate temporarily to the campus of St. Michael Academy.
Our Lady’s School and Cristo Rey San Diego High School also underwent renovations this summer, courtesy of grants from the Shea Foundation.
At Our Lady’s School, a full renovation of its North Campus (for grades 3 through 8) began at the close of the previous school year and is expected to wrap up around Labor Day.
Judy Ziment, president of Our Lady’s School, describes it as “a full renovation, both inside and out,” that includes all exterior painting, paving the play area/parking lot, new lighting, and updating of the school’s century-old plumbing, among many other upgrades.
Last summer, the Shea Foundation renovated the school’s Father Brown Campus (for transitional kindergarten through second grade).
“When (the current renovation) is all done,” said Ziment, “we will literally have a new school with two beautiful, new campuses.”
Meanwhile, at Cristo Rey San Diego High School, President David Rivera said that a grant has funded “complete renovations, down to the studs,” of two restrooms; 57 window coverings for classrooms and offices; and the resealing and restriping of the school’s parking lot. This comes a few months after the Shea Foundation provided a new asphalt parking and playground area.
Ten schools will begin the academic year with new principals, including Annalisa Burgos at St. Mary’s School, El Centro; Dr. Amanda LoCoco at Holy Trinity School, El Cajon; Brittany Bateman at The Nativity School, Rancho Santa Fe; James Brandt at Stella Maris Academy, La Jolla; James Davoren at St. Columba School; Larissa Frost, St. Katharine Drexel Academy; Erika Rosas at Sacred Heart School, Coronado; Sister Patricia Rodriguez at Vincent Memorial Catholic High School, Calexico; and John Amann at Cristo Rey San Diego High School.
The name of the new principal of Our Lady’s School has yet to be announced.
“We have a large number of … new principals,” said Oseguera. “I think that’s always exciting to have new leaders who are passionate about Catholic education leading our schools.”
As in past years, the diocesan Office for Schools will offer professional development opportunities for Catholic school educators before schools reopen.
On July 31 and Aug. 1, the office will host a Leadership Summit for Catholic school principals, featuring sessions on such topics as Catholic identity, leadership, operational vitality, development and accreditation.
On Aug. 2, there will be a New Pastors-Principals Partnership Meeting for those parochial schools where a pastor and principal will be working together for the first time.
Four days later, the Schools Office will hold its annual Religion Convocation, which will include a Mass concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishops Ramón Bejarano, Michael Pham and Felipe Pulido.
“This is our big kick-off event for the school year,” said Oseguera, who expects that about 1,200 educators will attend.
The superintendent said the start of the academic year is special.
“It’s exciting to see all the students come back from their summertime, ready to meet their new teachers, to see their friends, to get back to learning, and for the school communities to once again reunite for another successful school year.”
