Partnership Schools Annual Report 2019-20

ANNUAL REPORT 2019-20

COVER

As an independent 501(c)3 and private school management organization, Partnership Schools puts once-struggling urban Catholic schools on the path to long-term sustainability. We work to ensure that our schools have what they need to form students in knowledge and virtue so that they can live out our core values of integrity, humility, hard work, and service.

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There is no exam for a good life.

But there is a school.

At Partnership Schools, we believe that schools have a crucial role to play in helping students along the path to “the good life”–a destination defined not merely by material comfort, but as a life lived in service to their community, guided by faith, and supported by family and friends.

In that way, our Partnership Schools proudly arm our students with the knowledge, virtue, and courage they need to become good citizens, community leaders, and individuals who have deep and lasting relationships with others and with God. We help young people to this kind of wholeness by building academically rigorous, financially sustainable, and faith-filled schools that serve students from some of the most under-resourced neighborhoods in the nation. And throughout the 2019-2020 school year, the work we did to support and sustain urban Catholic schools became more important than ever.

As our nation faced the crises of a global pandemic and social strife, Partnership Schools—like Catholic schools nationwide—responded nimbly and comprehensively, standing apart by upholding both the health and safety needs of the communities we serve and the very real academic and social needs of the students who are in our care.

Drawing on our history as community institutions first and foremost, our seven Partnership Schools were able to quickly adapt to ensure that every student and family had the financial, academic, and social support they needed to weather the COVID storm. And in doing so, we helped build the character and resilience that children need in order to not just survive or succeed, but to truly flourish throughout their lives.

This year, we tackled great challenges with an even greater sense of purpose—and shared that work with dedicated educators, ambitious supporters, and striving families. Guiding these partners in such unprecedented days has been one of the most significant privileges of our professional lives.

In the months and years ahead, we are embracing opportunities to deepen our impact and to include more students and schools. And we are more grateful than we can say for your support that makes our work—and our students’ tomorrows—a bright spot of flourishing, even amid difficult times.

Jill Kafka

Chief Executive Officer

Kathleen Porter-Magee Superintendent

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At Partnership Schools, we believe that we are

better together.

Our schools thrive as

diverse communities,

brought together by a common purpose.

2,058

62% Latino 34% Black 4% Other

STUDENTS

65+35M 55+45M 4

55%

65%

CAT H O L I C

FREE & REDUCED LUNCH PROGRAM

$29,285 MEDIAN INCOME OF FAMILIES ON PA R T N E R S H I P S C H O L A R S H I P

80% FAMILIES ON SCHOLARSHIP

From the beginning seven years ago, we have leveraged

economies of scale, network-level philanthropy, and a shared vision of excellence

to support our faculty and staff and unlock the full potential of our schools. In 2020, when the COVID crisis hit, the stage for effective coordination was set: the network team worked hand-in-glove with school leaders to respond nimbly to the needs of our students and families, while also equipping teachers with the resources they needed to ensure all students continued to learn and thrive.

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Better Together

Dedicated Teachers, Supportive Network The strength of our faculty is enhanced by their commitment to our mission and to their school communities.

221 FA C U LT Y

68%

CAT H O L I C

40% Latino 29% Black 27% White 4% Two or more races

Our Teachers Are Dedicated Community Leaders

56+19+25 19+25M 56+

15+

YEARS

5Y -E A1R S4

“

1Y E-A R5S

Y E A R S T E AC H I N G AT PA R T N E R S H I P S C H O O L S

I was so overwhelmed just thinking about remote learning and really concerned how I would transition to it.

However, the support, guidance, and help soon eased the fear of the unknown.

PA R T N E R S H I P T E AC H E R

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”

Ms. Hernandez

Zoraida Hernandez is in her fifth decade of teaching.

Transitioning to new technologies for teaching remotely this spring could not stop her passion for literature making its way to her middle schoolers. With technical assistance from her principal, curriculum materials from the network, and her unwavering knack for helping students find insights in literature, Zoraida– and a legion of Partnership educators–ensured students did not miss a single day of instruction and kept learning new material even as the pandemic raged in our neighborhoods.

“

This community helped shape the educator that I am today. I was able to look past the negative that was sometimes present and see that I could make a difference.

That is what I want for my students. I just want them to know that despite everything that might be going on around them, despite the noise of COVID-19, they are capable of reaching their fullest potential and making their dreams come true.

”

–SHAMEIKA FREEMAN, S T. C H A R L E S B O R R O M E O

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At Partnership Schools, we are guided by

faith and values, inspired by love, and grounded in rigorous content.

5000

2,495 BOOKS DISTRIBUTED INCLUDING…

BUD NOT BUDDY CHAINS THE OUTSIDERS RAISIN IN THE SUN LORD OF THE FLIES

M AT H PROBLEMS S O LV E D

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G R A D E S K- 8

NOVELS READ

BETWEEN MARCH & JUNE

GRADES 5-8

BETWEEN MARCH & AUGUST

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

100%

S TAY I N G C O N N E C T E D :

T E AC H E R S S TAY E D I N C O N TAC T W I T H 100% OF STUDENTS

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“

He reads everything….

They teach them how to pronounce, how to break down words. Once you have that skill you are able to read anything that comes in contact with you. Prime example, we went to Costco yesterday and he is there and he picks up a magazine… The Human Body. That’s what they just finished studying [1st grade].

As we are standing on a long line he is reading out loud and this is not a… color-coded children’s book. And I’m looking at him thinking, at your age I wish I would have picked up that book.

That’s what I love.

– PA R T N E R S H I P PA R E N T

”

In 2020, the global pandemic changed so much.

But one thing that did not change was our commitment to ensuring all students were engaged with rigorous, content-rich curricula in reading, math, history, science, religion, and the arts. Even in the spring COVID shutdown, our students engaged every day with great literature, religion, and critical math skills.

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Propelling Students Forward Building Knowledge.

Forming Character.

Seizing Opportunities.

75%

G R A D UAT E S AC C E P T E D I N TO HIGH PERFORMING HIGH SCHOOLS

Rosa lives in a refugee shelter with her family. But that didn’t stop her from graduating from Sacred Heart School and earning a game-changing scholarship to attend St. Vincent Ferrer High School this year.

Key to her success and that of all Partnership graduates is our High School Placement program, which helps families find best-fit schools, navigate complicated application processes, and find the scholarships that help make their dreams for their children one step closer to reality.

High School Scholarship and Aid Tripled

$0.97 Million

4-year aid offered

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$3.3 Million

87+13= 32+13

Life-Changing Results

2016

4-year aid offered

2020

The number of students attending top-tier high schools has nearly doubled since 2015, while the number of students attending lowperforming schools has dramatically decreased.

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At Partnership Schools, we believe we are

made for each other.

That’s why, when COVID hit, supporting each other’s material, education, and spiritual needs was our top priority.

1 COVID Family Relief Fund We launched a COVID Family Relief effort and raised $1.12 million to provide direct aid to any family in our community who was suffering from the health or economic impact of the coronavirus crisis.

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2

Waived Tuition We waived tuition for our families for the duration of the schools shutdown. We knew that, particularly in times of crisis, we could not ask our families to decide between meeting the basic needs of their own families and the supporting embrace that only a Catholic education could provide.

When an unprecedented pandemic struck our neighborhoods this spring, supporting each other’s material, educational, and spiritual needs was our top priority. Of course, in Catholic schools, focusing our efforts on supporting each other is not new. Actions rooted in our deepest beliefs have long been the hallmark of our school communities, especially in trying times.

By the end of the Spring shutdown, our families felt supported and cared for, and their children were making real progress, both academically and spiritually, as they witnessed what it looks like to live out the values we teach every day.

3 Paid Employees Even though our schools were closed, we committed to paying all members of the Partnership Schools faculty, staff, and leadership, whether they were able to “work from home” or not.

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Made for Each Other A New Crisis, a Tradition of Community Support

$1.2 Million C OV I D R E L I E F R A I S E D T O DAT E

$500K OVER

For decades, our Catholic schools have embraced our students as whole people, our families as partners, and our mission as more than academics. Our communities embodied that tradition energetically as the COVID crisis began. Even as 80 percent of our families are on scholarships (with a median income of $29,285), they joined network efforts to support needs from food aid to tech assistance.

DISTRIBUTED TO FAMILIES IN NEED 19-20

504

FA M I L I E S S E R V E D

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Parents felt more supported than ever this spring.

Our overall Net Promoter Score–the number of parents who reported that they would recommend Partnership Schools to a friend –increased dramatically between 2019 and 2020.

“

46

67 2020

2019

I cannot begin to express what

your gift means to my family...

more than monetary value, I am so grateful to know that we have

support from people like yourself and the generous supporters.

God bless and stay safe.

– I M M AC U L AT E C O N C E P T I O N PA R E N T

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The Partnership is a

growing network.

In spring 2019, the Archdiocese of New York made significant financial investment to add St. Charles Borromeo School to the Partnership–a visible sign of its faith in the Partnership approach and the school’s potential.

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ST. CHARLES BORROMEO

Harlem

Cleveland

In June, thanks to an historic agreement with the Diocese of Cleveland and $3 million in seed funding from local and national supporters, the Partnership became a national network. “I am grateful for Partnership Schools’ innovation for the future of Catholic education,” Frank O’Linn, Superintendent of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland noted, “so that we can keep the highest quality Catholic education as widely available as possible, here in this Diocese and throughout the nation.”

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At Partnership Schools,

philanthropy is crucial. $11 Million RAISED TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS

Required philanthropic support: $14.8 Million

$3.8 Million

PROVIDED FROM PA R T N E R S H I P INVESTMENT EARNINGS AND RESERVES

$11 Million ANNUAL FUNDS RAISED BY PA R T N E R S H I P IN 2019-20

Includes $1.7 Million raised for waived tuition

C O S T T O E D U CAT E : $ 1 1 , 5 1 2 Waived tuition

$851

Grants & donations

$5,730

$8,535 PHILANTHROPIC & PPP LOAN SUPPORT

Scholarships

$1,954 Average parent payment

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Goverment & other funding

$2,180 $1,954 $797

Simply stated, we rely on philanthropic support to fill the spending gap and provide students with the rigorous education they deserve.

In the FY19-20 school year, 80% of our families qualified for scholarships, and, of those, more than half received funding that covered 50% or 75% of tuition. That means that we collect, on average, $2,180 per student from families, just a fraction of the costs to educate each child in our schools.

We know that, in order to form students with character and teach strong values, we need to show them what it looks like to live a life of service and generosity.

Fortunately, throughout the Partnership Schools community, we have

countless examples of virtue in action, including the generosity of our Board and of our donors.

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At Partnership Schools, we

maximize every dollar.

COST TO E D U CAT E

Partnership Schools

$11,512 NYC Charter Schools

$16,343 NYC Public Schools

$28,928

INCOME & EXPENSES FOR THE YEAR

$24

$24

62+18+137M 61+21+171M Million

Million

EXPENSE

INCOME

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$14.8 million­—Philanthropic support $3.2 million­—Payroll Protection Program Loan $4.4 million—Tuition & fees $1.6 million—Government support & other income

$14.7 million—Instructional & school activities $4.9 million—Administration & development $4 million—Operations & facilities $.4 million—Capital

* The unaudited financials for FY20 are reported here. Includes funding for legacy obligations and special projects.

Our total expenses in 2019-20 were $24 million, including capital. To fund these expenses we collected $4.4 million in tuition and fees, received $1.6 million in government support and other income, and received a PPP loan of $3.2 million.

The remaining $14.8 million was provided through philanthropy.

Because of the generosity of our wonderful supporters, we raised a record amount of $11 million (10% over last year). The remaining $3.8 million came from the Partnership’s endowment earnings and reserves.

80%

OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET IN 2019-20 W E N T D I R E C T LY T O O U R SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS.

Even in the wake of COVID, with unexpected costs, the Partnership’s 2019-20 per pupil spending

rose only modestly to $11,512, less than half the $28,928 per pupil spending of New York public schools and far below New York charter schools.

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In less than five months, and at the height of the pandemic from March to July, our local community in Cleveland helped us raise $3 million to launch our first expansion site 22

William B. Finneran Student Opportunity Fund

The unfailing generosity and service we hope to build in our students was exemplified by Catholic school champion and late Trustee, Bill Finneran. Bill worked to ensure that all children have access to an excellent, faithfilled education. In his loving memory we launched The William B. Finneran Student Opportunity Fund to provide scholarships to students across our network. Through the tremendous leadership of Trustee Emeritus Dick Schmeelk, we raised over $1 million in honor of Bill’s legacy.

$1 Million R A I S E D TO DAT E

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Our community makes this possible.

Our community raised $237,000 to ensure each and every child had a device to continue learning at home.

When our annual Rao’s dinner was cancelled, our Rao’s family launched an online campaign underscoring the importance of supporting community. Together we raised more than $325K to support our students.

When we needed support to develop a program to help ensure continued learning for our students throughout the summer, our donors stepped up to help with the necessary funding.

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To ensure our struggling readers continue to make big gains, we adopted Whole Phonics, a systematic reading intervention program designed to give students deep practice with the skills they need to become resilient and joyful readers.

The unwavering support of our community was a tremendous part of our success this year.

From ensuring continued learning for our students, helping launch creative campaigns to bring in new support, and funding the launch of our first national expansion site, we are so grateful to the dedicated and passionate men and women who make our work possible.

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“

In the 3rd grade, [my parents] were able to send me to Sacred Heart, and that decision changed my life and set me on my current successful path.

– PA R T N E R S H I P A L U M

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”

We could not do it without you.

Partnership Supporters in 2019-20

TRUSTEES

John Cahill Russell L. Carson Patricia W. Chadwick Elizabeth Cogan Fascitelli Michael Deegan Most Reverend Timothy Cardinal Dolan Jane Martínez Dowling Charles P. Durkin, Jr. Norman Eig Barbara R. Evans Jose Fernandez William E. Flaherty Amandine Freidheim Brendan Gallagher William Goodloe Peter T. Grauer Cecilia Greene Donald J. Herdrich Janine Hill Bonnie B. Himmelman Fr. Joseph LaMorte Helen T. Lowe Pete Maulik Jane B. O’Connell Frank Porcelli Thomas C. Quick Brian T. Regan William Sales Amy M. Stevens Nancy Wall Anne Williams-Isom

F O U N DAT I O N S & O R G A N I Z AT I O N S Altman Foundation Anonymous Carson Family Charitable Trust Charina Endowment Fund Charles Hayden Foundation Children’s Scholarship Fund Church of the Resurrection Edward and Joan B. Steiniger Charitable Foundation Heckscher Foundation for Children Howley Family Foundation Hyde and Watson Foundation Inner-City Scholarship Fund Lozick Family Foundation Mother Cabrini Health Foundation

New York Catholic Foundation Norma Pace Foundation Peter B. and Adeline W. Ruffin Foundation Porticus North America Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities Robert Mize and Isa White Trimble Family Foundation Robin Hood Foundation Roman Catholic Church of St. Charles Borromeo and All Saints Organization Fund Stephen C. Freidheim Foundation The Achelis and Bodman Foundation The Catherine L. and Edward A. Lozick Foundation The Clark Foundation The Drexel Fund The Francesco and Mary Giambelli Foundation, Inc. The Louis Calder Foundation The Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation The Pumpkin Trust The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation The Shubert Organization The Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation William E. Simon Foundation Wilson Sheehan Foundation

MAJOR DONORS

Judy Hart Angelo Anonymous (2) Arthur Anton Frank Bisignano Henry and Barbara Bloom Amb. Daniele Bodini Richard Branca James and Nancy Buckman Edward and Aileen Burdick Russell and Judith Carson Joseph Cassin Robert Castrignano Patricia W. Chadwick Elizabeth Cogan and Michael Fascitelli Daniel Conway Kevin and Dee Conway Mary Deatherage

Albert DeGulis Daniel and Kathleen Denihan Daniel Denihan Jr. Donald Denihan Patrick and Mary Dougherty William and Tara Dougherty John and Tricia Duffy Charles P. Durkin Jr. Joseph Evangelisti Bradford and Barbara Evans Umberto Fedeli Jose Fernandez William B. Finneran + Brigid Flanagan Robert Foran Amandine and Stephen Freidheim Brendan and Kate Gallagher Mark Gallogly and Elizabeth Strickler Daniel and Dede Geib John Kevin and Mary Ellen Gilgan Amy and Sidney Goodfriend John and Kiendl Gordon Peter M. Gottsegen Thomas Graham Richard and Lori Grasso Peter and Laurie Grauer Alan Guerci Saint Edward Guild Alicia and Philip Hammarskjold Gregory and Sarita Hanley Carla Harris Thomas Healey Donald and Frances Herdrich J. Tomilson and Janine Hill Bonnie B. Himmelman David and Laurie Hodgson Dr. John Hudec Scott Jeckering Thomas and Margaret Johnson Ernest Kafka Kenneth and Elaine Langone John Lindenthal and Mary Orechovsky William Litzler Helen T. Lowe Warren Mackey Kevin Mahaney Pat Marchionda Timothy McCarthy Thomas and Paula McInerney Mark Mulvoy Raymond and Katie Murphy John and Margaret O’Brien

William and Susan Oberndorf Eavan and Connor O’Driscoll Josephine Pellegrino and Frank Pellegrino, Jr. Thomas Piper Joseph Plumeri Mark Pojednic Frank and Madeleine Porcelli Thomas C. Quick Michael Quilty Lawrence C. and Illana Raia Robert Reardon Brian and Lindsay Regan Chuck and Deborah Royce William and Suzanne Sales John Scarpa Andrew Schmeelk Matthew Schmeelk Richard and Priscilla Schmeelk Lois Severini and Enrique Gittes Paul Shiverick Melanie and Joseph Shugart Gary Smigiel Raymond Smiley Thomas and Diane Smith Peter Smith and Linda Mahoney Frank Stanley Paul Teti Ann Thivierge and Richard Durkin John van Rens and Sarah Lutz Kerry and Simone Vickar Michael Vitulli Clémence and William von Mueffling Tom and Nancy Wall Lynn Waunford-Brown Edward Welsh John Werwaiss

+ Passed away in 2019-2020

Thank you!

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NEW YORK

CLEVELAND