In Downey: Applying a corporation's mindset on campus

A month later, the altar had been replaced by a large sign --- "Welcome future Victorians," spelled out in giant silver letter balloons. The atmosphere was everything but silent.

It was the first time that more than 250 eighth graders from 14 area Catholic elementary schools visited the all-girls high school in Downey to tour St. Matthias, which is in the process of renewing its focus in academics and spirituality under a new collaborative model.

The Nov. 17 "Victorian Showcase" was designed to help these eighth graders consider enrolling at St. Matthias.

"Don't let money be an issue," St. Matthias principal Mike Wagner told a group of students from San Miguel Middle School as he welcomed them to campus.

The reality, of course, is the sluggish economy makes tuition a barrier for many families in the area who would like to enroll their children at St. Matthias, which has its own financial challenges. Thus, the Catholic College Preparatory High School Collaboration between St. Matthias and Junípero Serra High School in Gardena was established, with Wagner as principal and Erick Rubalcava as president for both. It is the first model of its type implemented in California, according to Msgr. Sabato (Sal) Pilato, archdiocesan superintendent of high schools.

In what is hoped will be a cost-effective model, the two schools --- though one is co-educational and other is an all-girls --- share a college preparatory curriculum and a commitment to spiritual growth. Moreover, it is hoped that the experiences gained at Serra --- one of the high schools with the highest enrollment in the archdiocese, where Rubalcava served as principal and Wagner as assistant principal --- rub off on St. Matthias' community in the hopes of drawing more families.

A first evaluation of the new model will be conducted starting 2011.

"January 30, 2011 is the D-Day," chuckled Rubalcava. "And we will determine the direction we take from there."

"We applied a corporation's mindset," explained Rubalcava, who has a degree in business administration. "Large companies with more than 50,000 employees are managed by CEOs (chief executive officer) who report to a president and to a board of directors."

Under the new model, both schools function independently, each one with their own board of directors and administrative staff led by the same principal, who reports to the president. They also share the human resources director. Eventually, they will share faculty members in summer.

The idea was welcomed by the archdiocesan Department of Catholic Schools.

Once Msgr. Pilato approved the model, officials, faculty and staff of both institutions started assessing and evaluating the needs of St. Matthias, staffed in its early years by the Sisters of Notre Dame and now serving mostly Latin families in surrounding working-class communities.

Both Serra and St. Matthias hold students to similar academic standards, according to Rubalcava. "The teachers' integrity is the component that has maintained the schools' standards," he said. "Their handbook is identical and their grading scale is also identical. There's no need to reinvent or to implement new standards."

And the arrival of Rubalcava and Wagner has been welcomed by St. Matthias faculty and staff who acknowledge their leadership at Serra.

"Everybody's happy," said Maureen Crammer, a St. Matthias teacher since 1985. "We're facing 21st century technology challenges and our connection with Serra will help us get the resources to do upgrades.

"Serra has done wonderfully, increasing its enrollment. It's strong in academics, athletics and in its service to the community. Faith has been an integral part of what they do. All these are key in building a strong Catholic school."

But the surrounding community, officials admit, needs to be made more aware of the value of a Catholic school. St. Matthias' enrollment for 2010-2011 was 221 --- shy of its 230 target --- and tuition for about 70 percent of the student body was financed through the Catholic Education Foundation.

Thus, one of Rubalcava's priorities is to garner support from the community, starting with alumni, who have been invited to get involved by joining the board of directors.

Prior changes
This is not the first time that St. Matthias has experienced change.

In 1995 --- in an effort to reduce operational costs while keeping an affordable tuition --- St. Matthias students were transferred from their 35-year-old campus in Huntington Park to coeducational Pius X High School, a 19-acre campus at the corner of Paramount Boulevard and Gardendale Avenue in Downey. For three years St. Matthias was co-educational until the last group of Pius X boys graduated.

Since its inception, St. Matthias has offered college preparatory, business and general courses, plus co-curricular activities, including video-filming. Since the new leadership took over this year, there have been some changes: much of the second floor remains vacant, with a few rooms used as an art gallery --- where students can display paintings and sculptures --- and for recreation. All classrooms are now on the first floor, in an effort to improve communication as opposed to having "students all scattered in classrooms upstairs and downstairs," Rubalcava said.

Additionally, the school features a softball field and a fitness center with brand new equipment donated by school friends. The library has been stocked with new volumes and upgraded computers donated by Serra.

Several rooms have been renovated, including the tutoring room, the teachers' lounge and the principal's office. The school now boasts an after-school program, staffed by Los Angeles Unified School District.

A new campus minister, Notre Dame Sister Mary Frances Wahl, has helped ignite a renewed spirit in the students with hands-on activities.

Pending projects include renovation of the old cafeteria, as well as an adjacent building that Rubalcava would like to see transformed into an after-school coffee bar with a study area.