St Anthony Academy

564 Pages·2004·15.44 MB·English

by  St Anthony Foundation

Applicatioll for all Opell-Ellrollmellt Charier School- Eighth Gelleratioll
Coversheet, page 1 of 2
Date of Submission: >M ay 30, 2002
Name of Proposed School: __£S~t-'..---".A~n~t=.!l~lo"-n~YL-ECA~c,-"a~d~e,,,m~YL-_______
Grade Levels to be served: Maximum Estimated Enrollment:
Year 1 Pre-K 3-Bth Year 1 220
Year 2 Pre-K 3-Bth Year 2 240
240
Pre-K 3-Bth
Year 3 Year 3
Year 4 Pre-K 3-Bth Year 4 240
YearS Pre-K 3-Bth YearS 240
Name of Sponsoring Entity: St. Anthony Foundation
Note: The name IIInst be exactly as it apllcars in the articles of incorlloration filed with the Texas
Secretary of State.
Check one:~ SOI(c)(3) nonprofit organization SBOE District: _____ r
__ Governlllental Entity ESC:
__ College or University Opening Date: _____
Chairperson of Board of Sponsoring Entity: Michael R. Corboy
Chief Executive Officer of Sponsoring Entity: Michael R. Corboy
Chief Executive Officer of Proposed Charter School:_-=J..:o::A.::n::n=e-=S:...:•. ..-::.K::r...:a_t::..z=-_____
ApplicalltMailingAddress: 8111 Preston Road, Suite 712, Dallas, TX 75225
Physical Address of Proposed Administrative Offices:
~3./...7L3./...2LJM""'y)C.J..r..bt..!.lse,-"S!J,tw'~'L......!D~aa,1~1!,.;a!!.s~.~T!;X~.!.7.d5~2c!1",5c-_(if dirferent frolll above)
Contact Phone # 2l4-~14~368-02B6
Contact Email Address: ______

List below the physical address of the main school campus >and any proposed satellite campus:

Main Campus 3732 MYrtle St •• Dallas. TX 75215

Satellite Campus____--------------------­
Ifnecessary, attach additional satellite information.

Will the school require all teachers to be certified? yes

Will the school require that all teachers hold at least a bachelor's degree? yes

Will the school require the business manager to be certified? no If yes. indicate the type(s) of

certification that will be required­
__Certified Public Accountant __Certified Internal Auditor __Certified Frau~Jxan;liger

__Other Texas Association of School Business Official certification Q ;,j

Will the school require the accounting andlor business office personnel to be hold at least ~>bachelor's

degree? yes r) ;",,~,,~ :.:< ;":' :i~~'

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~ RFA 701-02-014
Application for an Opel/-Enrollment Charter School- Eighth Generation
Coversheet, page 2 of 2
TEe 12.120 states, "A person may not serve as a member of the governing body of a charter
holder, as a member of the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school, or as an officer
or employee of an open-enrollment charter school if the person has been convicted of a felony or a
misdemeanor involving moral turpitude•••"
Has any of these individuals-
NO Been convicted of a felony?
NO Been convicted of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude?
Has the sponsoring entity been involved in
_NJlI.QO,--_ Litigation? -fN:uOL-__ Sanctions from any state regulatory agency?
IfYES, explain completely as required in other portions of the application.
Has any of the individuals to serve as a member of the governing body of the charter holder, a member of
the governing body of the charter holder, or an officer of the charter school-
No Been involved in bankruptcy?
IfYES, explain completely as required in other portions of the application.
If the sponsoring entity already holds charters, have these charters been timely and accurate in reporting­
NA
____ PEIMS information? ____ annual audit?
NA participating in required annual evaluation?
I certify that I have tbe autbority as tbe Chief Executive Officer of the sponsoring entity desiguated
above to make application for an open-enrollment charter school. I further certify all information
contained in tbis application is complete and accurate, realizing tbat any misrepresentation could
result in disqualification from the cbarter application process or revocation after award. I
!
authorize tbe Texas Education Agency to investigate tbe references listed in this application.
understand that INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED for
(BLUE INK) Signature of Chief Executive Of ponsoring EntityfDate
(BLUE INK) Signature of Application Preparer Was this person paid? Yes~ No
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RFAiiJIl14 _
Table of Contents
Coversheet

Table of Content. ........................................................................... 2

Overview ....................................................................................... 3

Statement of Need.............. ............. ...................................... ........ 6

Vision ofthe School ..................................................................... 13

Student Goals ............................................................................... 23

Educational Plan......................................................................... 30

Governance Structures and Processes............................................. 40

Human Resources Information ......................................................... 46

School Officer Accountability........................................................... 53

Evidence of Eligibility of Sponsoring Entity.. ...... .......... ...... ........ ......... 57

Governance....... ... ......... ............. ........ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... .................. 61

Community Support..................................................................... 68

School Demographics................................................................... 70

Admissions Policy.... ... ......... ......... ... ......... ............ .... ... ...... .......... 72

Code of Conduct.......................................................................... 75

Special Needs Students and Programs................................ ........... 106.

Business Plan............................................................................ 133

Geographic Area to be Served and Statements of Impact................... 136

Attachments.............................................................................. 137

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Overview
St. Anthony School has operated as an inner city elementary school in the heart
of South Dallas since 1946. St. Anthony was developed in the time of school
segregation by the Josephite Fathers and the Sisters of the Holy Ghost to meet
the need for a strong academic program in the South Dallas black community.
Established to provide sound education in a nurturing environment to the children
of St. Anthony Catholic Church Parish and surrounding community, its mission
has remained constant while the community it serves has evolved. The middle
class families of St. Anthony Parish have moved away from the inner city and
have been replaced by a non-Catholic, economically disadvantaged, working
poor community. The change in the demographics of the community presented
significant challenges to St. Anthony in meeting the needs of its community for a
safe haven for stUdents seeking an academically enriched education.
As the population changed from middle class to economically disadvantaged, the
ability of the local community to support the school declined while the need for a
secure, academically sound alternative to the local schools increased. The
Catholic community had moved away decreasing from, at one time, over two
hundred families to currently less that 70 parishioners. St. Anthony no longer had
the resources necessary to fund the school at a sufficient level to maintain a
quality program.
By the mid-eighties, several inner city Catholic schools were in need and St.
Anthony no longer served a predominantly Catholic population. The Catholic
Diocese of Dallas had heavily subsidized St. Anthony School for many years.
Recognizing the reality of limited resources, the Diocese decided to focus its
funding on more "Catholic" inner city schools and slated St. Anthony for closure
at the end of the 1989 school year if alternate funding could not be secured.
Faced with the options of either closing St. Anthony School or finding an
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alternative source of funding, concerned members of the Dallas business
community gave generous donations to the school.
A core group of business leaders recognized that a strategic plan was necessary
to keep a strong academic option available to the South Dallas African American
community. These business leaders established the St. Anthony Development
Board in 1992 with the initial goal of placing St. Anthony on a financially sound
footing. These business leaders recognized that the closing of St. Anthony
would be a significant blow tot he surrounding community and that revitalizing
and enhancing the education available at SI. Anthony would be a step toward
revitalizing the community as a whole. With the cooperation of the Diocese of
Dallas, SI. Anthony Foundation, a nonsectarian non profit 501 c3 organization,
was formed in 1997 with the long range goal of establishing an endowment fund.
Both the Foundation and the Development Board initially focused on the financial
health of the organization. Several fund raisers, private donations, and
eventually the Myrtle Street Jazz Festival were held to insure the organizational
financial health.
Once the immediate financial condition was stabilized, the Foundation pursued
the goal of developing a program for school excellence based on the venture
capital model tied with academics, faculty quality, compensation and fiscal
health. The school implemented rigorous testing criteria. The students were
performing above average for the state of Texas but well below average,
nationally. A strong academically focused principal was hired in 1997 to develop
a World Class Academic Program.
The SI. Anthony Foundation recognized that a strong academic focus in grades
pre-K through 8th grade is essential to long term educational success. The
Foundation also recognized that elementary school is the first step and students
need to b~. provided with the tools necessary to complete the entire educational
process from kindergarten through college and beyond. With that goal in mind,
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St. Anthony Foundation in cooperation with area preparatory schools established
the ST. Anthony Inter Reach Student (STAIRS) Program.
Students successfully completing the STAIRS program are offered full
scholarships to one or more of the participating high school preparatory
programs. Completion of the preparatory program virtually guarantees the
students' scholarships to Universities and Colleges throughout the United States.
The program to revitalize St. Anthony has been so successful that St. Anthony
has been referred to by the news media as the "Miracle on Myrtle Street." The
St. Anthony Foundation seeks a Charter to continue to provide the families of St.
Anthony's community with a high performing, financially stable educational
choice that is free and available to all members of the community.
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1. Statement of Need
1.a: Evidence Of Need And Demand For This Type Of School
Community Profile
The school serves 138 families and 179 children in grades K-3 through 8th
.
Presently, all of the students are African American and reside throughout the
South Dallas Community. Of the 138 families, seventy-six or 55% are from
single parent families with six (6) males as head of household and seventy (70)
females as head of household. Fifteen or 8% of the students are being raised by
grandparents and/or other relatives. Because of their low incomes, approximately
one hundred eleven (111) or
62% are on tuition assistance Does Tutuon Cause You Flnanelal Hardship?
and one hundred two (102) or
57% students participate in the
free and reduced lunch
program. Only a small
.Occasionally
percentage of the parents have
been educated beyond high
school. Because of early age
pregnancies, many have never
graduated from high school.
Many other families have sought to enroll their children in SI. Anthony;
unfortunately, even with a generous scholarship program and a modest tuition
structure, SI. Anthony is out of the financial reach of most members of the st.
Anthony community. I n a survey of parents of existing students, 100% of the
respondents (86 surveys returned) had one or more neighbors/friends who
wanted their child to attend St. Anthony but could not afford tuition. If required
to pay full tuition, families pay $2,700.00 in tuition per child per year. For many ­
~
83 % - sending their children to St. Anthony is a financial hardship.
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Parents' willingness to pay a substantial percent of their annual incomes to send
their children to St. Anthony provides dramatic evidence of community support
and the need for a safe, academically focused option to the existing public
schools. For 68% of the
What is Your Total Household Annual Income?
families, tuition exceeds 10% of
60%
their annual income.
50%
St. Anthony School and
40%
Community Center is located
30%
near Fair Park. The area is
20%
characterized by· high crime.
10%
The population is comprised of
low income, working class, 0%
Under$lD,OOO $10,000 -27,000 O\er$27,OOO
black families with a
disproportionate number of elderly grandparents raising children, substandard
housing, high drug traffic and high teen pregnancy. The unemployment rate is
disproportionately high and single parent households continue to increase in
numbers. Families with children in this community need the opportunity for a
quality education and are challenged daily to succeed against high odds. St.
Anthony School a nd Community Center provide the" opportunity that makes a
lifetime of difference" and helps overcome those odds by being a beacon of light
and hope for the children and their families.
St. Anthony's service area is experiencing the myriad of problems commonly
associated with low income, and inner city environment. In surveys of parents as
to the reasons they send their children to St. Anthony, three primary reasons
were given:
• The academic focus is challenging yet attainable
• St. ~nthony is a safe nurturing environment
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• The values the school represents are values the parents believe would be
beneficial to their children.
Since assuming financial control of SI. Anthony, the Foundation and the
Development Board have infused in excess of $7,000,000 over the course of
1992 - 2002 to S I. Anthony. The funds were used tor enovate the physical
infrastructure, to bring in new administration and staff to build a solid academic
program, and to provide temporary financial stability while building the long term
program. Although t he Foundation is
committed to the long term success of
StAnthonyParentSurvey
'51' SI. Anthony's program, the Foundation
,,% recognizes that tuition and donations
35%
will not indefinitely sustain the basic
30%
program, particularly during periodic
25%
20% economic slowdowns. In order to
15%
continue its mission of providing a high
10%
performing, safe and nurturing
5%
0% educational environment, SI. Anthony
Safety Academic Values Catholic Locatton

Focus ReligiOUS
requires a financially stable source 0 f
funding
1.b: Charter School Model Appropriate
As a charter school, SI. Anthony would receive public funding which would
eliminate the need for tuition. Moreover, as a charter school, SI. Anthony could
serve 20% more students. SI. Anthony could serve 220 students with its existing
facilities. That means an additional 41 students would receive the benefit of an
elementary education dedicated to providing each child with the tools to pursue
the college and post graduate programs of the child's choice. The qualities that
attract parents to SI. Anthony are universal and non denominational:
1. qual.ity educational program;
2. safe, nurturing environment;
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3. traditional values including; respect for oneself and others;
4. acceptance of personal responsibility; and
5. a willingness to set goals.
Approximately 95% of St. Anthony's current student body is non Catholic. St.
Anthony's safe nurturing academic environment - designed to inculcate a love of
learning and basic values in its student population - would work effectively in the
charter school model. The non sectarian model is more consistent with and
would better serve the community that surrounds St. Anthony and is better
adapted to the mission of the sponsoring entity, St. Anthony Foundation. As a
charter school, St. Anthony could reach Significantly more students and assist
them in achieving their full potential.
Indications Charter School Will Improve Performance
The best indication that St. Anthony will improve student performance is the
tremendous gain in performance St. Anthony has
achieved since St. Anthony Foundation
implemented the Performance Based Education
Program. Stanford Achievement Test Scores have
improved 33% over the past three years, from the
th
48 percentile to the 64th percentile. The
Performance Based Education Goal is to reach,
th
and remain in, the upper quadrant (75 percentile
or above) by 2009. Unlike TAAS, the Stanford test
is a norm - reference test that does not indicate
whether a student passes or fails a specific set of
criteria. It indicates where a child performs in
relationship to children nationally. By being in the Graph 1 National Ranking
Based on Stanford9
64th percentile St. Anthony rates near the top third
nationally. ~ The "average" Texas school, in contrast, rates in the bottom quarter
nationalIy.
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