Introducing the Academy of Carlo Acutis!
Holy Family School, Peru Catholic School, and Trinity Catholic Academy gathered together for Mass with Bishop Tylka on February 20, 2025 to reveal the name of our new school. Names were proposed by our student body and the final choice came from our mission committee and the Bishop. See more information about our planning process below. Blessed Carlo Acutis, pray for us!
Bl. Carlo
Acutis,
Pray for us!
Welcome!
No matter your place or role in our Ilinois Valley community, we are grateful for your interest and support of Catholic school education, now and in the future.
The Catholic Schools Consortium is formed to unite our school families, parish communities, and local leaders, to thoughtfully and proactively respond to the modern needs of our schools. We value your help and ideas.
Vision
A Catholic school system in the
Illinois Valley that provides
families in our communities with
an exceptional choice for their
children’s education and faith
formation
Mission
To explore options that will
energize and enhance the
Catholic school system in the
Illinois Valley
Background
With the guidance of a representative steering committee, we have evaluated stakeholder input, architectural and financial data, and are preparing to develop a new Catholic School in the Illinois Valley.
“As we look to the future, we are working to equip the faithful to go make disciples within a mission-driven, sustainable structure of parishes and schools.” Bishop Louis Tylka
Announcement and Committees - February 2025
Three committees began work in February: Mission, Enrollment, and Finance. The Mission Committee's first task was to review our students' patron and mascot suggestions for the new school. They are also developing our mission and vision statements and will begin reviewing school policies and procedures. The Enrollment Committee is reviewing the process by which our three separate registration and recordkeeping systems will come together. They are also working to streamline the process for enrollment and will provide informational materials to parents as they make their registration decisions. The Finance Committee is reviewing the existing schools finance, considering possible budget models, and producing a tuition schedule recommendation for our first year, with an eye on how we can create a sustainable future for our new school.
Planning for a New School - January 2025
The Catholic Schools Consortium had an intensive year of exploration. We examined the answers to over 700 local surveys, received reports from architects and our finance office, and listened to the mandate given to us by our representative Steering Committee.
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Our next step is to begin forming a new Catholic School in the Illinois Valley. This starts with forming 7-8 working committees to implement this process, with the new school beginning in the fall of this year.
Our Steering Committee - Autumn 2024
The Steering Committee was comprised of representatives from our schools, parishes, and the wider community. Its' purpose was to provide guidance and strategic direction for the Catholic Schools Consortium. They reviewed financial data, demographic trends, architectural reports, and local survey results. After weeks of deliberation, we are happy to share their conclusions.
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Steering Committee Members: Gina Baker, Mike Bima, Eric Carls, John Duncan, Tara Ebner, Mark Grzybowski, Adela Guzman, Brian Layhew, Lynn Quick, Dr. Michael Rooney, Gina Steele, Randeep Saini, Tim Smith
Survey Findings - October 2024
Over 700 surveys were completed and returned to the Consortium. We appreciate everyone who participated in the exploration and data-gathering phase as we examined input from a variety of stakeholders. Specific surveys were created for our school families, teachers, CCD parents, parishioners, and the business community. Our education commissions also gathered in three focus group sessions. The analysis of the results are found in the report below.
Architectural Report - September 2024
During the summer of 2024, Farnsworth Group from Bloomington began an architectural survey and assessment of our buildings. The focus was on architecture and accessibility, structural elements, plumbing, fire safety, and mechanical and electrical systems. Needed repairs and expansion possibilities were also documented. The roofs of each school were also inspected. Farnsworth presented the report in person to our steering committee in October 2024.
Questions and Answers
How will we enroll in the new school?
Families will receive an enrollment packet in late March, along with details about the new school’s operations, programs, and tuition/fees schedule. Students will be considered enrolled once the packet is returned to one of our school offices. Later this spring, FACTS Management will begin merging family and student records into our new school system. Eventually, families will need to create or update their FACTS account online—we’ll let you know when and how to do this once the system is ready for us.
Will this affect our teachers and staff?
Our teachers are an essential part of this process, and they were the first to be included. As we move forward, we will rely on their guidance and input in the working committees. It is foreseeable that staff members might be asked to take on a different position or teach at a different grade level. We want and anticipate needing all our current staff members.
Will some school buildings or locations close or change?
The Steering Committee has recommended we explore the feasibility of building a new, unified facility to meet our needs. In the interim, our three current buildings will be used. The construction of a new building or the use, disuse, or expansion of an existing building will be explored by the school in the coming years.
What is the timeline for this process?
​In January 2024, the priests and principals began meeting with the Diocese and our consultant to evaluate our current situation. Work began that summer to gather information, plan surveys and focus groups, and initiate a study of our current facilities. Notice was given to our priests and teachers in early August with a public announcement made on August 24th/25th. Stakeholders were surveyed at the beginning of the school year and focus groups were conducted with Education Commission members from Peru Catholic, Trinity Academy, and Holy Family in September. The Steering Committee made up of members from the Illinois Valley community and parishes met regularly in September, October, and November. The Consortium has reviewed and accepted their report. Working committees will plan and organize the operation of a new, unified school system for the next school year 2025/2026.
Wouldn't using only two buildings save more money?
Maybe in the future, but our priority right now is promoting unity. We want to keep all our school and parish communities engaged through this process as we build on each school’s history and tradition. Moving to just two buildings immediately would also be a tight fit, especially as we plan to expand our curriculum and extracurricular programs. Over the next year, our building committee will evaluate the school’s long-term needs. As suggested by our steering committee, we’ll explore the feasibility of a new building and assess how to best use our current facilities. It’s also worth noting that unused buildings still cost money. Even if a building is empty, we must cover insurance, maintenance, and utility costs—about 5% of our budget per building. Also, we can’t pull buildings in and out of use. If a facility sits unused for too long, it will require costly ADA updates if we need to use it again. This is obviously a very important part of our planning - we need to make sure we get it right! An architectural report from Farnsworth is available on the CSC website if you want more details.
When will I know which teachers will be at each grade and location?
Our teachers recently completed a survey sharing their ideas and preferences for next year. All current teachers are invited and encouraged to return. We’ve also started working with a professional HR representative from the Diocese to make the process as smooth as possible. There are many factors to consider, so this process can’t be rushed. Just the same, we are committed to finalizing agreements with our teachers as soon as possible.
Which school buildings will be used?
The Peru building will become our junior high for grades five through eight. Its location and athletic facilities make it ideal for older students. The LaSalle and Oglesby buildings will remain elementary schools, each serving preschool through fourth grade. Families can indicate their choice of campus on the enrollment form. We’ll do our best to honor these preferences while balancing class sizes. Should space be limited, priority will be to early registrations and those with siblings at the same location. Look for announcements for our upcoming open houses in March, or contact a principal for a tour during the school day to see our schools in action!
Who is involved and leading this process?
Our pastors and principals independently initiated this process because they believed it was time to look intentionally at our programs and stability. We are working with a consultant and the Office of Catholic Schools and have been guided by a representative steering committee. There were no preconceived outcomes to the explorative or deliberative phases. Now that the decision has been made to unify, we are forming committees to ready us for our first year as a new school.
Why is this situation being addressed at this time?
Each of our schools will have difficulty remaining financially viable as they are currently situated. Like our public school counterparts, we have decreased enrollment and increased expenses. We need a new operating model for stability, but we also want to increase and improve our facilities, curriculum, student services, athletic programs, and other offerings. This is the right time to reevaluate our programs.
How long will this process take?
Data gathering was completed early autumn 2024. Steering Committee work to analyze the data and propose a future direction was completed in late November. In January, the CSC members analyzed the report, communicated it to teachers and parents, and laid out a basic plan for administration and building usage for the next year. In the Spring of 2025, working committees will begin the process of shaping and organizing the identity, policies, and offerings of the new unified school.
If we’re using all three buildings, why don’t we just remain as separate schools?
Most communities our size have just one Catholic school. National and regional trends show that maintaining three separate schools in LaSalle, Peru, and Oglesby isn’t sustainable. By uniting as one school system, we can immediately share resources and staff while offering flexible class sizes. This new model will provide greater stability and allow us to improve and expand our curriculum, student services, athletics, and other programs. Together, we’ll explore the possibility of a new building or make collaborative decisions about how to use our current facilities.
CSC Member Organizations
Peru Catholic School and Parishes: Fr. Gary Blake, Pastor and Rich Koehler, Principal
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Trinity Catholic Academy and LaSalle Parishes: Fr. Tom Otto, Pastor and Deb Myers, Principal
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Holy Family School and Parish, Oglesby: Fr. Paul Carlson, Pastor and Nathan Boudreau, Principal
Nativity of Our Lord Parish, Spring Valley: Fr. Scott Potthoff, Pastor
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Catholic Diocese of Peoria, Office of Catholic Schools: Dr. Jerry Sanderson, Superintendent