Anonymous New York Donor gives $1.3MM over two years to grow Cleveland Partnership Schools!

Partnership Schools Cleveland adds another school!

This coming school year we will add Metro Catholic School to our Partnership family!  Presently, 440 students are enrolled at Metro, located on Cleveland's near west side, in effect doubling our student population.  Partnership Schools Cleveland is on its way to six schools and 2000 students by 2025 school year.  Last week over 1900 supporters of Metro received a letter announcing this exciting news.

This history was taken from their website. Often referred to "The Miracle on 54th St," when Metro Catholic School began some said it would not last more than three years.  Now as we celebrate over 30 years we are grateful for our blessed history and the visionary people who knew Metro Catholic was meant to be.

 In the mid-80's our Founding Mothers, Sr. Grace Corbett, SND, Sr. Regina Davala, SND and 

Sr. Virginia Reesing, SND were principals of small urban parish schools on Cleveland's Near West Side.  These sisters could see that the urban core was rapidly changing.  School enrollment was decreasing and funding was a growing challenge.   The sisters felt impelled to continue the legacy of quality Catholic education for urban families as well as provide supportive programs and funding assistance for those living in poverty.  Several years of visioning and prayer along with myriad meetings led to the merge of the elementary schools of St. Boniface Parish, St. Michael Parish and St. Stephen Parish.  Metro Catholic School is now located at two campuses:  Preschool - Gr. 1 on the St. Boniface property and Gr. 2-8 on the St. Stephen property.

Thirty years later, many of the same forces that were at work then are still present.  Just as the visionaries of then sought a new structure to deal with those issues, today the idea of a larger group of schools working together will lead us to many more years of growth and success.

Partnership Schools Cleveland Growth Fund gets lead gift!

Exciting challenge grant included! Every new gift received by Partnership Schools Cleveland will be matched dollar for dollar up to $700K staring now!

Just this past week, an anonymous donor, after receiving a well written proposal asking for help to grow in Cleveland and spending twenty minutes on a Zoom call with Executive Director Jill Kafka, Regional Superintendent Dr. Christian Dallavis, and Founding Director of Partnership Schools Cleveland Richard Clark and the donor, we received a call shortly after the Zoom that we were going to be awarded $1.3MM over two years to assist in the growth of Partnership Cleveland.

Each of the two years has a $350K matching challenge feature.  The donor has let us know that when we meet the challenge we will receive the match, but has told us that if we meet both matches early we will receive both early!  In other words, as soon as we raised $700K, starting NOW, we will receive both matches.  So from now until reaching that goal, every gift to Partnership Schools Cleveland will be DOUBLED!

School Tours Available

Please consider visiting one (or both) of our schools.  You can email me at richard.clark@partnershipcle.org or call/text me at 216-409-7018 to arrange your tour.  School hours are 8-4 M-T and 8-2 F.  The tours take about an hour.  Seeing is believing!!

Breakfast with Chef Riche!

Coming in January, we will be hosting groups of 4-10 people for an information breakfast and school tour.  These will occur at Archbishop Lyke School and I will be preparing omelettes, scones, coffee and other breakfast accoutrements!  Dates will be annouced soon!