Diocese, Notre Dame ACE Academies partner with three more schools

Three schools in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland will join the network of Notre Dame ACE Academies this school year, in a continuing partnership between the diocese and the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education.

St. Jerome and Our Lady of Angels, both in Cleveland, and Corpus Christi Academy in Lyndhurst, will be part of ACE’s network, which creates thriving and resilient Catholic schools through an emphasis on Catholic school culture, strong teaching and learning and operational vitality.

St. Jerome School, in Cleveland’s North Collinwood neighborhood, opened in 1922 and has an enrollment of more than 200 students.

Our Lady of Angels School, in Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood, opened in 1923. It has an enrollment of almost 300 students.

Corpus Christi Academy in Lyndhurst was formed in 2016 when St. Claire and Sacred Heart of Jesus (formerly St. Gregory the Great) schools. With a combined 160-year legacy,  merged to keep Catholic education alive in the Lyndhurst/South Euclid area.

Bishop Edward Malesic joined in the announcement with Ryan Clark, director of Notre Dame ACE Academies, and Frank O’Linn, diocesan superintendent of schools.

“Catholic education is one of the largest and most important youth ministries within our diocese,” the bishop said. “I am very grateful for the collaborative work between Dr. O’Linn, our education leadership and the Notre Dame ACE schools to bring this innovative, multifaceted program to three more of our Catholic schools, ensuring their academic excellence, accessibility and sustainability for years to come. The partnership of these schools will make them places where our children encounter the love and teaching of Jesus, giving them the best environment in which to flourish in their studies and personal formation.”

The mission of the Notre Dame ACE Academies is to provide a Catholic education of the highest quality to as many children as possible by mobilizing the resources of the university, (arch)dioceses, statewide parental choice programs and local communities. ACE faculty and staff will work closely with local leadership of Notre Dame ACE Academies in Greater Cleveland to increase academic achievement, systematize operations and strengthen the schools’ Catholic identity by enhancing school leadership, curriculum, instruction, professional development, financial management and marketing.

“The Diocese of Cleveland's intentional, innovative approach continues to inspire our work to strengthen and sustain Catholic schools,” said Clark. “Now entering our sixth year of partnership with St. Anthony of Padua and St. Augustine in Akron and Barberton, we're excited to extend that work to three additional schools in Cleveland. The dedication of the pastors, principals and teachers to the full human flourishing of the students they serve is a testament to what this partnership can achieve. We look forward to building on this shared foundation together.”

O’Linn said the diocese’s collaboration with NDAA has been fruitful for St. Anthony and St. Augustine and he is excited to see that influence grow.

McKenna Corrigan, diocesan assistant superintendent of schools who served as interim regional director for the two Greater Akron NDAA schools, is the new diocesan director for NDAA Cleveland. She will oversee the NDAA initiative in all five schools in the diocese.

Lisa Oriti, a veteran educator who served more than a decade as principal of St. Benedict School in Cleveland, is the new regional director, NDAA Cleveland.

Notre Dame ACE Academies were founded in 2010 as a response to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ call for a “new model of sponsorship and collaboration” between Catholic institutions of higher education and parish schools. The network has heeded the call and has experienced both academic and enrollment gains in its schools.

ACE, part of the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame, works to sustain, strengthen and transform Catholic schools. It annually serves more than 300 schools and 250,000 students in over 40 states.