By Patrick Haggarty, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Catholic Schools

The schools’ summer break provides time to look back and review some of the students’ and schools’ accomplishments and highlights.

Butte Central Catholic High School graduated 33 students this spring. These young people were offered more than $2 million in grants and scholarships to attend a college or university. Two students were selected from Boys and Girls State to be two of the four Montana delegates to Boys and Girls Nation.

Butte Central’s Maroons placed second in the state for boys’ basketball and they were a semi-finalist in boys’ football. The new Maroon Activity Center hosted four state tournaments, as well as the first annual “Tip Off Tournament” for eight basketball teams, including Loyola Sacred Heart and Billings Central.

The Butte Central Catholic Grade School had a great year as well. Its K-8 enrollment remained at or near 280 for the third consecutive year, which is amazing given the significant enrollment decrease that Butte’s public schools are enduring. The Butte Central Pre-School is scheduled to move into a new, larger facility across the street.

To promote a safe and academic environment for students whose parents work after school, principal Carolyn Trudnowski instituted a new after-school-care program that provides tutoring services for Central students in kindergarten through fifth grade. And this year, the school celebrated the careers of three teachers who have dedicated 20 or more years of service to Butte Central Grade School.

For the fifth year in a row, Loyola Sacred Heart Catholic High School scored as one of the top three schools in the state, as measured by Montana’s annual standardized assessments given to all high school students. It graduated 43 seniors who were offered more than $2.9 million in grants and scholarships for continued education at a college or university. The school’s enrollment is on the third consecutive year of increase, with more than 195 students and it is projecting an enrollment of 200 for 2008-2009.

One LSH student was also selected for Boys Nation. In sum, three of the possible four Montana delegates to Boys and Girls Nation are Catholic school students!

The LSH Speech and Debate team won its 25th consecutive state championship, the boys’ basketball and tennis teams and the girls’ golf and softball teams placed third in the state.

The LSH Foundation had a record year, providing tuition assistance for more than half of the students attending the grade and high schools. As the cost of education continues to rise, education foundations are quickly becoming essential.

St. Joseph Catholic Grade School graduated 41 students; 38 of them will attend LSH. Thanks to the generosity of friends and benefactors, SJS received a new playground, technology lab and gymnasium bleachers. The school’s enrollment remained at or near 300 for its third consecutive year and once again, the students scored as one of the top schools in Montana, as measured by the national standardized ITBS assessment.

De La Salle Blackfeet School is a Nativity-San Miguel School, operated by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, for boys and girls who live on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Brother Paul hired a new principal, Cathy Bunke, who had a fantastic year directing Montana’s newest Catholic school. This spring the DLSB students and staff painted and mounted a 90-foot mural on their property. Plans for next year include offering classes in Native Studies and Native Language as well as computer literacy. The school serves a predominantly at-risk population and relies on the charity of its supporters. This year, 638 stewards of Catholic education generously gave DLSB more than $266,000 for school operations.

St. Matthew’s Parish School in Kalispell had an exciting and eventful year as well. In the fall, the St. Matthew families celebrated their 90th year in the Flathead Valley. They implemented a “Cost Based-Needs Based” tuition system, in conjunction with a parish discipleship/tithe program for continued support of the school as a ministry of the parish. The school realized an enrollment increase, and added a third kindergarten class. Over the summer, they moved the school and parish office together, which has created an excellent work-flow environment. And the school received funding for a new playground system to add to the current Father Mike O’Neill Playground for the students attending St. Matthew’s.

Writing on behalf of the school administrators, faculty, and staff, as well as its students and families, I would like to extend a sincere sense of gratitude to the good people of the Diocese of Helena who support Catholic schools. For more than 100 years our diocese has continued to champion K-12 Catholic education, through even the most difficult times. In looking back at 2007-2008, our schools had a fantastic year of teaching, evangelizing and living the Good News and we are looking forward to 2008-2009, where we anticipate an even better year of providing spiritual formation and academic excellence!


Patrick Haggarty, Ed.D., is the superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Helena. For more information about the diocesan schools, visit www.diocesehelena.org/schools.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 24, No. 7, July 18, 2008.