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Kevin Powers, who has served as principal for the last four years at St. Margaret of Scotland School in Chicago, has been selected to be the superintendent of Catholic Community Schools, a new consolidated school system in the St. Cloud metro area. He officially begins his position on July 1.
“I look forward to building on the educational excellence, collaboration and commitment to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ that already exists among the CCS member schools,” Powers said. “One of our goals together will be to foster a system that ensures Catholic education is affordable, sustainable and available to anyone who wants their child to attend a Catholic school.”
“Kevin Powers has demonstrated a passionate commitment to Catholic education both as a teacher and administrator,” said Bishop Donald Kettler of St. Cloud. “His vision for Catholic Community Schools will strengthen efforts to provide a top-notch education as we form the next generation of leaders for our world and our Church.”
Father Ron Weyrens, chair of the CCS board of directors, said Powers has a gift for connecting with people and articulating a vision, which will help “draw us together and move us forward as we strengthen our schools and the Catholic presence here in our communities.”
Powers, a native of Haverhill, Mass., earned a bachelor’s degree in business from St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., in 2008. Following graduation, he participated in the Alliance for Catholic Education program at the University of Notre Dame. During the two-year program, he taught second grade at St. Anthony Elementary School in Long Beach, Calif., and earned his master’s degree in education from Notre Dame. He then taught third grade for two years at Alphonsus Academy and Center for the Arts in Chicago, and middle school for one year at Our Lady of Charity School in Cicero, Ill. before being named principal of St. Margaret of Scotland School in 2013. He earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from DePaul University in Chicago in 2014.
During his tenure at St. Margaret of Scotland School, Powers took steps to improve the school’s curriculum and support systems to better serve its students, which come from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. Test scores have risen, and enrollment has increased from 150 students to 225 students. The school cut its deficit in half and increased its outreach to donors, raising more than $1 million in the last four years for scholarships and various projects. Powers also currently serves on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Curriculum Advisory Council, Archdiocese Principal Advisory committee and the Archdiocese School Board Subcommittee on Financial Strategies.
He and his wife Molly have two children: Clare, 3, and Mary Colette, 1. Molly Powers has worked for the last six years as the director of campus ministry at St. John Paul II Newman Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Schools participating in Catholic Community Schools are the following: All Saints Academy (St. Cloud and St. Joseph campuses), Cathedral (St. Cloud), St. Francis Xavier (Sartell), Holy Cross (Pearl Lake), St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (St. Cloud), St. Katharine Drexel (St. Cloud), St. Mary Help of Christians (St. Augusta) and St. Wendelin (Luxemburg).
Bishop Kettler initiated the idea for creating the new school system as a way to increase collaboration and keep Catholic education in the St. Cloud metro area academically and spiritually strong and financially viable. The 2016-17 school year is a transition year for the CCS system, which is expected to be operational for the 2017-18 school year.
A superintendent search committee was formed last October by the CCS board of directors. Three finalists were selected after a nationwide search that garnered 14 applications from individuals with a range of experience. The CCS corporate board made the final selection with input from the superintendent search committee, the CCS board of directors and information gathered from community-wide interviews with the three finalists held earlier this month.
