St. Pius X School named Blue Ribbon School of Excellence

St. Pius X seventh-grade students, from left, Gabby LaFrance, Gabrielle Nondorf and Emily Lux, pose in front of a poster proclaiming the Indianapolis school’s selection as a 2007 Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U. S. Department of Education. (Submitted photo)

By John Shaughnessy

Theresa Desautels smiled as she watched students, parents and teachers celebrate a remarkable accomplishment that is becoming a tradition in Catholic schools in the archdiocese.

The excitement swirled around Desautels—a longtime educator at St. Pius X School in Indianapolis—when it was announced on Oct. 3 that the school was selected as a 2007 Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.

Yet what made the celebration even more special to so many in the St. Pius community was the immediate recognition that the honor wasn’t just a reflection of the recent academic success of the school.

Instead, the school community views the Blue Ribbon award as a testament to the parish’s 52-year-commitment to providing quality Catholic education for children.

The honor was also viewed as a ­continuation of the success that archdiocesan schools have had in being recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence. With St. Pius joining the list, 22 schools in the archdiocese have earned the Blue Ribbon distinction in the past five years.

“It’s neat to know there is so much emphasis in our archdiocese on giving our kids a great education,” said Desautels, an assistant principal at St. Pius who also teaches English to eighth-grade students.

“It’s also a wonderful validation of the hard work that everyone from St. Pius has done from the beginning. My uncle, Msgr. Charles Ross, was the founding pastor of the parish in 1955. The school was the big thing for him. He always wanted the best for the school. I’m sure he’s up in heaven celebrating, knowing his school is being recognized nationally.”

Current pastor Father Gerald Kirkhoff noted that same theme after St. Pius was chosen as one of nine schools in Indiana—and the only Catholic school in the state—to earn the Blue Ribbon distinction.

“Nothing can happen today that wasn’t begun years ago by principals, teachers and parents,” Father Kirkhoff said. “We also have to credit the parishioners who don’t have children here anymore or who never had children here. They’re the products of Catholic education, and they see its importance.”

St. Pius was among the 287 schools honored nationally by the No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools program. According to archdiocesan officials, St. Pius is the 25th of 71 Catholic schools in the archdiocese to earn the national recognition. No other diocese in the United States has matched that distinction.

“Once again, I am thrilled that the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has gained national recognition,” said Annette “Mickey” Lentz, executive director for Catholic education and faith formation for the archdiocese. “St. Pius is so deserving of this award. Their success indicates much hard work over time. I am very proud of the school and its leadership as well as those whose shoulders they stand on.”

The formal announcement of the honor was made to the St. Pius community after the weekly school Mass on Oct. 3, the feast day of St. Theodora Guérin, the pioneer of Catholic education in Indiana.

During the brief ceremony, the saint’s influence was noted by the archdiocese’s superintendent of Catholic schools, Ronald Costello.

“I think it’s great we were able to announce this on her feast, considering her commitment to academic excellence,” Costello said.

After thanking teachers, priests, parents, parishioners and volunteers, St. Pius X principal Ted Caron turned to the students and said, “Do you know who we also need to thank? All of you. When you go home and work hard on your homework or study for that test, it’s one of the reasons we won this award.”

Catholic schools are nominated for the award by the Council for American Private Education. Blue Ribbon schools are then chosen based upon the following three criteria, according to G. Joseph Peters, the archdiocese’s associate executive director for Catholic education.

• Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance on state tests.
• Schools whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on test scores.
• Private schools that achieve in the top 10 percent in the nation.

St. Pius X School will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 12-13. Plans are also being made at the parish and the school to celebrate the honor.

“It’s well-deserved,” said Julie Dietrick, the mother of four children who have attended St. Pius. “My fourth child, Annie, is in the eighth grade. The school makes them absolutely ready for high school and college. It’s a great place.”†