PS_Annual_Report_2025_web

Partnership Schools 2023–2024 ANNUAL REPORT

The future starts today.

One student at a time, one classroom at a time, one Catholic school at a time, our schools and our partners seek to build a future worthy of the children and communities we serve.

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we see that the relationships and values uniquely at the heart of Catholic schools are driving progress.

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s an independent 501(c)3 and private school management organization, our mission is to develop outstanding

Catholic elementary schools that provide students from underserved communities with the academic preparation, values, and skills they need to break the cycle of poverty and lead fulfilling, productive lives.

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Partnership Schools manages urban Catholic elementary schools on behalf of the dioceses that own them—schools that have served striving communities for generations and now often face the threat of closure.

We see a future for these schools as bright as the past, one in which • Students gain the knowledge and virtues they need to thrive.

• Educators get the support they need to make the life-changing impact they aspire to achieve.

• Families and communities thrive, thanks to an excellent faith-based school of choice, right in their neighborhood.

Fueled by visionary philanthropy, we are determined to help a new generation of children flourish—along with their communities— and to prove what is possible for Catholic schools across the country.

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Letter from the Executive Director

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One of the greatest blessings of working with children—as any parent or teacher could tell you—is that they demand our full attention now. Their futures are already unfolding, and we must leverage every resource available today to give them the best possible tomorrows.

In this annual report, then, we do more than look back. We also share what our students, educators, and network see in the days and years ahead, as we work to translate the potential of our students, schools, and the Catholic school sector into inspiring outcomes.

2023-24 was a momentous year for our organization, to be sure. We gained critical insights into how to adapt our approach to the needs of our Cleveland communities. The Archdiocese of New York let us know that they chose to resume direct management of the seven schools we have been honored to turn around during the last 11 years. Ultimately, we see our past work as a critical foundation for the future, and we are energized by what’s to come.

The under-resourced neighborhoods we are called to serve face significant challenges.

Yet as I look ahead at what is possible for Partnership students and schools, I am profoundly encouraged. Partnership educators continue to evolve the strategies needed to unlock the power of Catholic education for a new generation. And thanks in large part to expanding school choice funding, Catholic schools have a new opportunity to impact those who need us.

“

Our last year reinforces one key truth: helping children flourish is truly a partnership. Our students need all of us—parents, schools, the network, dioceses, and you, the supporters who share our vision of flourishing students in thriving communities.

From the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of all of us, thank you for partnering with us on behalf of children who should give us all hope that the future can be bright.

Gratefully,

Kristen Gengaro, Executive Director

“

Cleveland’s Partnership Schools are uniquely wellequipped to help build a brighter future for both children and communities, and I am inspired by the possibilities.

The Partnership is moving from proving what is possible for urban Catholic schools to spreading that impact—at an exciting moment for both our organization and the broader landscape of school choice.

—Moira Clark, Honorary Chair, Partnership Cleveland Advisory Council

—Brian Regan, Trustee and Executive Committee Member

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NEW YORK CITY

The Partnership began in New York as a bold experiment among visionary partners committed to one goal: helping children flourish fully, even in low-income communities, by amplifying the impact of Catholic schools that had been serving striving neighborhoods for generations.

Over the last eleven years, the results speak for themselves:

9,715

students provided ambitious academics, character formation, and nurturing community

Accelerated academic growth that redefined success for thousands of families

Total scholarship and aid awarded to Partnership NYC graduates

$0.97M

8th Grade ELA

31%

62

2014 2023 NYST proficient

2016

8th Grade Math

$7.7M

48%

2024 2024 graduates accepted at top-tier high schools:

85

%

Unwavering commitment to those most in need of transformational Catholic education

8

%

80%

of students qualify for free & reduced lunch

21% 2014 NYST proficient

2023 Passing Algebra 1 Regents

NYC Students

55% Hispanic of any race 2% Multiracial, Asian, other 1% White 1% Asian 41% Black

New York City student enrollment, fall 2020 to fall 2023 New York City student enrollment since 2020

+28% +8% -7% Partnership Schools

Charter Schools

Public Schools

Doing more with less— even amid post-pandemic inflation: Cost to educate increases, 2020-23*

$328

$5,198

Partnership NYC

NYC Public Schools

* NYC public school figures come from the NYC public schools website. FY23 is the last year for which actual public school spending figures were available at the time of printing.

In June, 2024, at the conclusion of our 11-year contract, the Archdiocese of New York informed us that they would resume direct management of the seven schools we operated on their behalf. In a letter to supporters, Cardinal Dolan expressed the aim for all schools in the Archdiocese to become self-sustaining in coming years.

We were surprised and extremely disappointed to lose the opportunity to serve communities we have come to love and in which we have invested so much.

We are thankful for every student and every family whose ambitions we have been able to share. And we are eager to deepen and broaden our impact in the service of children in Cleveland and beyond.

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CLEVELAND

Zeal for Cleveland Make no mistake: transforming academic achievement in one of the country’s lowest performing school districts is hard. But the challenges we face affirm that we are going right where our mission calls us to be: in neighborhoods where excellent Catholic schools can bring a new day to students and to entire communities as well.

Social Mobility, Cleveland Average income at age 35 for Black child born below the poverty line* Dark red: <$12,000 Dark blue: >$44,000

The promise of Cleveland’s workingclass neighborhoods has always been that of our country itself: that with hard work and steady values, children can access a better life than their parents’. But social mobility has stagnated across the city; for example, in 2005, Cleveland ranked tenth among 50 major U.S. cities for social mobility; just 15 years later, it dropped to 39th. The challenge is even more acute in the neighborhoods our schools serve, where the progress we are seeing makes us more determined to accelerate and expand it.

* opportunityatlas.org

“

Each turn of the flywheel builds upon work done earlier, compounding your investment of effort.

—Jim Collins, Good to Great

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”

“Pacesetter” Partnership teachers are making encouraging progress:

Two-year increase in percentage of students scoring proficient in our strongest Cleveland classrooms

+18%

+19%

MAP Reading

MAP Math

*Scoring in the 40th percentile or higher on the nationally-normed MAP test is a proxy for proficiency on Ohio state tests.

For comparison, the number of students scoring proficient in our first five years on the New York State Test grew by an average of 5 percentage points per year in reading, and 7 in math.

When we began work in Cleveland in 2020, we believed that ambitious progress is possible, even in schools that serve some of the city’s most challenged neighborhoods. Now, we know it to be true. Skillful, mission-driven educators equipped with the right curriculum and supports can make encouraging gains.

We are also clear: progress must happen in more classrooms.

Reading Proficiency

Math Proficiency

Spring 2024

4 nearest CMSD schools Partnership returning students

Spring 2024

4 nearest CMSD schools

18.3

%

29.9%

10.4%

Partnership returning students

20%

Even as our returning students significantly outperform their peers at neighboring schools, we know they can—and must—achieve at a higher level. We are already evolving our model in multiple ways to deepen learning and increase achievement.

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Amplifying Our Schools’ Impact The “fierce urgency of now”—as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described the call for justice—demands that we move forward on multiple fronts to help students realize their God-given potential. Currently, we are:

Raising Expectations for Student Work The Partnership network team is leaning in to strengthen our teachers’ vision for high-quality outcomes, so they know how to hold high expectations in practice. The team is supporting more analysis of student work and testing. We are collaborating with principals and teachers in using that data to target efforts to accelerate growth. We’re also training all teachers to do what the most effective in our network already do: start from a clear picture of excellence on each assignment, and use data from assessments to adapt lessons in real time.

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“

Teachers drive real learning when they are equipped with the most effective moves and mindsets—chief among them, that every child is made by God for greatness and thus can achieve at the highest levels.

—Christian Dallavis, Superintendent

Strengthening School Cultures We know that to make a transformative impact on student outcomes requires a multiyear investment in them—which means having them learning with us every day, year after year. Thus we are focused this year on strong attendance, re-enrollment, and teacher retention as key indicators of thriving school cultures.

Average Daily Attendance

Partnership Cleveland Re-enrollment

“

We don’t have strong classroom routines just to make students behave. We believe we are better together, and that every child is made by God for greatness—and strong routines are one way we act on those beliefs, one way we get closer to being the St. Thomas community we are meant to be.

—Rachael Dengler, Executive Principal, St. Thomas Aquinas

83%

87%

2024 CLE Public & Charter Schools

2024 Partnership Schools

70%

77%

2023-24

2024-25

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Developing Talent Coaching and developing instructional talent comes from the network team, principals, deans, and now peer leaders. With this multitiered approach, we are equipping hardworking, missiondriven educators with the skills they need to fulfill their calling.

“

There is an actual support system for me as a new teacher—not just ‘rah-rah’ encouragement, but intentional information and problem-solving from the network, my principal, and colleagues.

”

—Brittany Watts-Hendrixs

Kindergarten teacher, St. Francis

Cultivating Communities When families don’t just send their kids to a school but feel that both they and their children belong there, they stay; students have a better shot at steady growth; and both children and neighborhoods thrive. That’s why we are thrilled for community partners who are helping us implement more activities for both students and parents.

“

We believe St. Thomas and St. Francis are a significant partner in our efforts to rebuild St. Clair Superior, and we look forward to working with them in the future.

”

— The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation 14

High School Placement Support We are ramping up support for families of students as young as fifth grade to help them discover, get ready for, and earn both admission and scholarships to attend Cleveland’s strongest high schools—where students can build on the foundation they receive in Partnership Schools.

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The Partnership has always sought to run exceptional Catholic schools in the neighborhoods we serve and to advance a vision for the future of parochial schools nationwide, particularly in the working-class communities they have anchored for generations.

When we look at the future of Catholic education, we see …

A greater need than ever

An urgent role for innovative philanthropy

Across the U.S., stagnant achievement, a youth mental health crisis, and declining trust in civic institutions all call on us to leverage the power of existing neighborhood schools on behalf of a new generation.

Even in school choice states, modest vouchers and tax credits alone cannot drive excellence, and Catholic schools— particularly those serving low-income communities—remain vulnerable to underperforming and closure.

Capacity where it is needed the most

New models for funding and governance

In many working-class communities, parochial schools persist—and are under-utilized.

The spread of publicly-funded school choice—and the potential impact of Catholic schools—is greater than it has been since the 1960’s.

“

”

Our success demands that we build something that will outlast us.

—Kathleen Porter-Magee, Founding Superintendent of Partnership Schools, now Special Advisor to the Partnership and Managing Partner of the Leadership Roundtable

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We are saved together.

That’s why our Diocese is so committed to Catholic schools in the heart of the city and happy to be collaborating with Partnership Schools in this work. These schools are full of the children of God. So the more that they can be academically excellent; the more they spread loving community among students and parents; the more they cultivate virtues and habits our world sorely needs; and the more they bring together those in need of resources with those in need of serving others—the more they draw us all closer to God.

We see a future already in the making, where strengthening these schools strengthens the neighborhood around it.

We know that is possible—because that is precisely what happened over a hundred years ago, when parishes in then-new communities built schools that became centers of neighborhood life. We have every reason to believe that is the work we are engaged in now, as we partner together to keep these schools thriving.

—Bishop Edward C. Malesic

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Cost to educate relative to public schools

Partnership Schools is committed to serving the God-given dignity of every student— and to stewarding resources carefully in the process.

Our network team provides the academic and operational support schools need not just to stay open, but to aim for academic excellence. We spend far less than half of public schools in the communities we serve.

And we focus resources where they matter the most: in our schools.

Public school per-pupil spending NYC

33% Partnership NYC

Public school per-pupil spending CLE

42% Partnership CLE NYC public school figures come from the non-partisan Citizens Budget Commission. Analysis includes the 2021, 2022, and 2023 fiscal years, the most recent years for which actual, rather than projected, figures are available.

Cleveland public school figures come from the State of Ohio Department of Education School Report Cards.

We are committed to leveraging economies of scale.

In New York, for instance, our network saw

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+28%

+8%

increase in enrollment, 2021-2024

increase in expenses, 2021-2024

We seek stability for schools—and exceptional value for students.

NYC Income & Expenses

$25.9 million $16.2 M

$19.3 M

NYC Income

Philanthropic Support

$4.9 M

Tuiton & Fees

NYC Expenses

$1.7 M

Gov’t Support & Other Income

Instruction & School Activities

$6 M

Operations & Facilities

$3.6 M

Administration & Development

$0.1 M Capital

CLE Income & Expenses

$11.9 million $6.2 M

$6.3 M

State Scholarships

CLE Income

$3.6 M

Philanthropic Support

$1.6 M

Other Gov’t Support

$0.5 M

Endowment Annual Support

CLE

Expenses

$3.5 M

Operations & Facilities

$1.8 M

Administration & Development

$0.3 M

$0.01 M

Capital

Other Income

Percent of operating budget directly supporting schools:

Instruction & School Activities

85% 75% Partnership Schools

Charity Navigator’s program spending benchmark for A-rated nonprofits

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Our partners have transformed lives.

NEW YORK CITY

CLEVELAND

14.6 million

$

4.7 million

$

$

annual giving

3.6 million annual giving

$

0.5 million

endowment support

endowment support

41%

of donors new in 2023-24

“

Our support for Partnership Schools comes from our belief that when families have real, high-quality school choices—including faith-based schools—then children thrive, communities grow, and our faith in the American dream gets renewed. In this moment of deep change and challenge in education across the country, we admire the persistence and solution-seeking of the Partnership team, and we are proud to continue to support them.

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—Emily Cox Executive Director , The Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation

”

“

I have high expectations, and this school supports them.

We are so grateful.

”

—Je’Nice Collins Mother of Je’Shauna Robinson, Partnership-Cleveland Class of 2027

“

Because of all the help, mentorship, and resources, I was able to take the first steps toward a successful future. I will soon become the first in my family to graduate from college magna cum laude and step confidently into a career that once felt out of reach.

I am a product of the mission to empower students, develop their abilities, and prepare them to become successful. I feel an overwhelming appreciation.

”

—Gisselle Reyes Partnership-New York Class of 2017 Cristo Rey-New York Class of 2021 Fordham University, Class of 2025

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2024 Trustees

Russell L. Carson, Board Chairman

Amy M. Stevens, Board President

Jane B. O’Connell, Board Secretary

Donald J. Herdrich, Board Treasurer

John Cahill

Charles Durkin

Janine Hill

Frank O’Linn

Patricia W. Chadwick

Amandine Freidheim

Bonnie B. Himmelman

Frank Porcelli

Joseph Ciancaglini

Brendan Gallagher

Fr. Joseph LaMorte

Thomas C. Quick

Most Reverend Cardinal Timothy Dolan

William Goodloe

Helen T. Lowe

Brian T. Regan

Peter T. Grauer

Pete Maulik

Nancy R. Wall

Cecilia “Cee” Greene

Clémence von Mueffling

Sr. Mary Grace Walsh, ASCJ

Fr. Don Oleksiak

Chris Wilson

Jane Martínez Dowling

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Karen Hamilton Alicia Hammarskjold

2024 Supporters

$1,000,000+ Anonymous The Carson Family Charitable Trustu

$250,000-$999,999 Anonymous Anonymousu Bloomberg Philanthropies The Buckley Foundation

Sisters of Reparation Charitable Trust

The Richard† and Susan Braddock Family Foundation

The Stephen C Freidheim Foundationu

Chuck and Deborah Royce*

$25,000-$99,999

The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation

Jeffery Sanson*

Anonymous

u

Anthony and Christie de Nicola Foundationu

Charles P. Durkin Jr.u

Daniel and Kathleen Denihan*

Edward & Joan Steiniger Charitable Foundationu

Fred and Brittan DiSanto

Donald and Frances Herdrichu Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Family Foundation Lozick Family Foundation Laura Overdeck Riversville Foundation John van Rens and Sarah Lutzu Thomas and Sandra Sullivan† William E. Simon Foundation The William Randolph Hearst Foundation The Wilson Sheehan Foundation

$100,000-$249,999 Anonymous The Carmel Hill Fund Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Charina Endowment Fund Inc The Charles Hayden Foundation

The Shubert Organization Smiley Family Charitable Foundation*

Altman Foundation

Children’s Scholarship Fund

Heckscher Foundation for Children

Michael Shaughnessy

The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation

Linda Mahoney and Peter Smithu Pat and Nancy Sullivan Uncle Larry’s Fund Clémence and William von Mueffling*

The Drexel Fund and Nicholas Howley

Chris Wilson

Elizabeth Cogan Fascitelli and Michael Fascitelliu

$10,000-$24,999

Fred A. Lennon Charitable Trust

1727 Foundation

J Harrington & Marie Glidden Foundation

The Acquavella Family Foundation

Cecilia Greene and Paul Verbinnen* Gregory and Sarita Hanley

u

Catholic Charities Corporation

Sean Hennessy John and Kiendl Dauphinot Gordon John M. Conlon Revocable Living Trust Susan Karches and Thomas Owens Ray and Patty Laubenthal* †u

Meredith and Joseph Manning M.F. Cachat Charitable Foundation Fund Raymond and Katie Murphy*

The Clark Foundation

New York Catholic Foundation, Inc.

David F. and Margaret T. Grohne Family Foundation

Frank Nickell and Carol Hertling*

Brendan and Kate Gallagher*

Stephen and Stacy Nock* Norma Pace Foundation

Lise Strickler and Mark Galloglyu Alicia and Philip Hammarskjold* Haslam 3 Foundation Janine and J. Tomilson Hillu Thomas and Paula McInerneyu Robin Hood Foundation

Amb. Daniele Bodiniu James Buckman*

Carla Harris*

The Estate of Antonette J. Liskay

The Amaturo Family Foundation

Patricia Chadwicku Mary Deatherage* The Edward & Betty Sloat Foundation Fedeli Family Charitable Foundationu Rick Swift and Megan Flanigan Regina Pitaro and Mario Gabelli* Brian Gale George and Mary Kremer Foundation

Past Presidents Foundation Peter B. and Adeline W. Ruffin Foundation Pumpkin Trust/Joseph Reich†u Brian and Lindsay Regan* Dianne Brock and Bill Reilly*

Deceased *5+ year supporters u10+ year supporters ^Includes Angel Scholarship Fund tax credit scholarship contribution

†

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2024 Supporters

$10,000-$24,999 (cont’d)

George M. and Pamela S. Humphrey Fund Giant Eagle Foundation Harris Matthews Charitable Foundation Roger and Susan Hertog* Bonnie Himmelmanu Laurie and David Hodgson* Michael Horvitz Timothy and Carol King u Koch Foundation, Inc. Murphy Family Foundation John and Marsha Myslenski Margo and James Nederlander New York Community Trust O’Neill Brothers Foundation Ohio Boys Town Foundation Willard Overlocku Andrew Passen*^ The PNC Charitable Trust Philip and Anne Purcell Michael and Susan Quiltyu Richman Brothers Foundation The Sam J. Frankino Foundation Tremayne Smith Frank and Mary Stanley* Todd and Stacy Teter The Thomas and Agnes Carvel Foundation H. L. Thompson Jr. Family Foundation Kathleen and Laurence Whittemore

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$2,000-$9,999

Anonymous (3) Akron Community Foundation Edward Armon Darren and Krissy Barr* Charles M. & Helen M. Brown Memorial Foundation* Constance Birkelund Kelly Bookmyer* Terry Brizz Edward Burke John and Patty Cleary Daniel and Eorann Conway* Bobby Cremins* Jake Crocker John Curran Ronald and Audrene Dachtleru Daniels Family Foundation Albert Degulis David and Pat Deschleru William and Tara Dougherty* John Draghi Richard Ellison Al and Linda Garceauu Nick and Kathy Gonnella William Goodloe* Brian Gorris, Jr.u Anne and Robert Grevey William Griffin Judy Hart Angelou Kevin and LuAnn Hinkel Holy Family Social Concerns

Greg and Abigail Hopper* Michael Horgan Dave Keehan Dan Kiernan Paul and Danielle Klyapu William and Pat Kurzenberger Steve Kusik Daniel and Bonnie Leonard* Margaret and Steven Mabe^ Anthony and Colleen Manning*^ Joseph and Sue Manning Mark Maus and Stacey Picard* John Meditz Melanie Coronetz and Bruce Miller Mary Moran* Mary Kay Cabot and Bill Murman Peter and Rose Murphy Sharon Bush and Robert Murray Northern Ohio Honda Dealters Association NYAC Athlete’s Fund Terese Bogucki and James O’Brien* John Lindenthal† and Mary Louise Orechovskyu Mary Ann Passafiume* Thomas and Ann Piperu William Porter Priscilla and Richard Schmeelk Foundationu Karen and Andrew Rebholz^ Thomas Richlovsky Spencer and Sue Ann Seaman*

2024 Supporters

$2,000-$9,999 (cont’d) Barbara, Henry, and James Sheffler Arthur and Pat Sidleyu Speedeon St. Barbara Church St. Columbkille Church Stolier Family Foundation Marnell and Richard Stover* James Sullivan* The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Thomas J. Coltman Foundation Monica Thomasu Donald Toumey* Bob and Holly Vilsack Carol Wakefield George and Mary Lu Wasmer William and Barbara Wood

$1,000-$1,999 Anonymous Dan and Deborah Bandi Shawn Beatty^ Kathy Beckles Terry Bedell^ Mary Bijur Eugene Black Gary and Rosalyn Bombei^ Edward and Susan Bonk^ Mary Brown* Paul and Sheri Carleton Kathleen Coganu

Anthony and Gail Cresci^ Pasquale Cuomo* Anthony Dalton* Meg Degulis Roger Deike^ John and Patricia Dokler^ Richard Dolejs^ Winifred Doris Blair Effron* Karl and Carol Ertleu Daniel Fickes Cyrus and Mitzi Freidheim Galang Family Private Foundation Geralyn Gleason Dennis and Cindy Green Nick Green Edward Haag* Richard and Kathleen Hazelton^ Joseph and Helen Hehir Maryanne Helffrich* Fr. Joseph Hilinskiu^ Timothy and Cathy Hyland Dennis Kane Marianne Kraft Jim and Amy Kubacki^ John Maidens^ Angela and John Marinou^ Brian McBride* McDermott & Hicker LLC William McNamara* Z.E. and Maria A. Mestrits

Craig Miller^ Pat and Larry Miller* Michael and Kathleen Mueller* PK Murphy Michael and Marcia Neundorfer* Tyler O’Connor Kevin and Loretta O’Reilly Order of the Alhambra-Abba Koval #200 The Parker Hannifin Foundation Theodore Parran and Laura Bastulli-Parranu^ Thomas† and Theresa Pretlow^ Anthony and Mary Rego* Ashley Magargee and Thomas Richards* Morris and Margaret Saxon James Schenkelberg Wendy Sciortino Karen Scullinu^ Mary Simoncic Sisters of Christian Charity Mark and Patricia Skvoretz^ St. Dominic Church Amy and Quinten Stevens Joseph and K.K. Sullivan Unsung NYC Inc. Cynthia Whitehead Wolf Company Charitable Foundation Mike and Mary Woods^

† Deceased *5+ year supporters u10+ year supporters Includes Angel Scholarship Fund tax credit scholarship contribution ^

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“

I think we should all be very proud of what we’ve accomplished in the last eleven years, and for educating nearly 10,000 students in New York.

Our work continues to have an impact on the lives of young people and their families.

By focusing our efforts going forward in communities that receive public funding in support of our work, Partnership Schools will now use our substantial skills and resources to expand in a more financially sustainable model.

”

We are looking forward to continuing that impact for thousands more students in the years to come.

—Russ Carson, Chair, Board of Trustees

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Thank you on behalf of the thousands of young people who continue to make inspiring progress because of your support.

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