The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland named John Simon interim president of Cleveland Central Catholic High School in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood.
Simon assumes the duties of interim president following the resignation of President Leo Hyland, who is leaving the school at the end of the current school year after he accepted another position.
Simon takes up his new duties effective June 1 while the Office of Diocesan Education conducts a search for the high school’s next president.
In making the announcement, Frank O’Linn, secretary for education and superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Cleveland, praised Simon for his past leadership on the school’s advisory board as its president and his willingness to continue service as interim president for the school.
“Mr. Simon has distinguished himself as a servant leader among the Cleveland Central Catholic school community. He possesses the wisdom and vision to continue the excellent tradition of Catholic education by serving as its interim president. I offer my sincere thanks to Mr. Simon for answering the call to the benefit of all the students, faculty and staff of Central Catholic,” O’Linn said.
Simon is a 1972 graduate of St. Stanislaus/Cleveland Central Catholic High School. The current Cleveland Central Catholic was created during his sophomore year.
“I am extremely grateful for the education I received at Cleveland Central Catholic High School and for the generosity and financial support provided back then to help with my tuition,” said Simon. “God’s unconditional love for us, his teachings to love thy neighbor as thy self, were my personal experiences in action at CCC. I am only trying to repay the gift I was given by helping other CCC students have a chance to succeed.”
Due to his deep love and devotion to the school over many years, Simon is affectionately known by many in the school community as “Mr. CCC.”
Simon retired in 2018 from Medical Mutual of Ohio after serving for many years in varying roles. He retired as director of business operations. Simon earned a business degree from John Carroll University and took post-graduate coursework at Cleveland State University.
Located on Cleveland’s Southeast side, Cleveland Central Catholic High School is a diocesan coeducational school rooted in the Gospel values of Jesus Christ and focused on college and career readiness. Its mission is to challenge and encourage our students to excel academically, to deepen their faith in God, and to live a life of service, so they may face the future with confidence and hope.
The school dates to 1881, when two of its four founding schools were established as parish high schools: St. Stanislaus (in Slavic Village) and St. Michael the Archangel (in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood). Subsequently, two other Catholic high schools were chartered at Our Lady of Lourdes (also in Slavic Village) and St. John Cantius (also in Tremont) parishes.
In 1968, the four Cleveland urban Catholic parish high schools merged to form Cleveland Central Catholic High School. When it opened in 1969, CCC had more than 1,600 students on the campuses of the four founding schools.
Over time, as enrollment decreased, three of the campuses were closed: Our Lady of Lourdes in 1976; St. John Cantius in 1988 and the Scranton campus (St. Michael’s) was consolidated with the Forman campus (St. Stanislaus) in 2003, completing the transition into a one-campus school with all activities on the St. Stanislaus block in Slavic Village. Historic St. Stanislaus Church and the parish elementary school are on the same block.
Over the years, the school successfully completed a $13 million capital campaign adding more than 25,000 square feet of new construction for classrooms, labs, meeting space a chapel and gymnasium. The addition opened in 2006. The campaign also increased CCC’s endowment fund, which helps finance academic scholarships and tuition assistance for students with financial need.
A partnership with the city of Cleveland, the Diocese of Cleveland and Third Federal Foundation resulted in a new athletic facility that opened in 2010.