Rich Clark Delivers State of the School Address

Rich Clark, our founding President, provided his State of the School address to many Saint Martin supporters on April 6. Rich provided updates on office of Mission initiatives, academic success, our Corporate Work Study Program Partnerships, as well as the financial position of our school. It had been a few years since his last State of the School address and there have been many exciting developments both at the school and with the staff since that time. He focused on the commitment to our growing school community and shared a special message from a few Saint Martin alumni. To watch their video, please click here. Special thanks to Sue Stewart of American Appetites for her work in catering the evening.

Rich's remarks included:

Cura Personalis
• Campus Ministry now offers single-gender, themed, small-group retreats for young women and men, nature lovers and art lovers and our service trip offerings will expand from service to Cleveland and New Orleans to also include service in El Salvador.
• “Wonder Week” has strengthened our “small school” sense of community and is a faculty-inspired initiative that will continue.
• Three licensed social workers and a school psychologist provide our students with necessary service that does not, unfortunately, exist at other schools in Cleveland.

Our Community
• Enrollment will reach our target of 500+ students within the next few years with an expected second-consecutive admissions class of 150 students.
• Our student community will number 750 students next year with 270 alumni and a student body of 480. Our alumni outreach director ensures that our alumni receive support and know that they remain member of our community.
• 125 good corporate citizens currently partner with us through the Corporate Work Study Program and that number will reach 140 next year.

Academics
• Office of Student Success’s collaborative effort deserves great credit for our current -year retention rate of 97%.
• 100% college acceptance – for the fourth consecutive year!
• Saint Martin students have been accepted at 110 colleges and universities over the last four years, including first-time acceptances this year at Georgetown University, Heidelberg College, Lourdes College, and Wittenberg University.

Important Context
• High school graduation rate in Cleveland – 54%
• 100% Saint Martin graduation rate over past 3 years
• 5-year college graduation rate:
- 40% for all students nationally who enroll in college
- 6% for all students in the lowest economic quartile who enroll in college
• 72% of our graduates are currently enrolled in college and we will have our first college graduates next year – four years after our first graduation!

Our Financial Sustainability
• Our students have now contributed more than Bill & Melinda Gates - $11 million through their work! At full enrollment, 60% of our revenue will be generated by our 500+ student workers. Our students have earned over $2.2 million this year.
• Behind the committed leadership of board chair Nick Howley, we quietly raised $3.1 million of a $3.25 million goal through a recapitalization effort which has taken place over the last 14 months.
• With a successful Birthday Bash May 14, this will be our strongest fundraising year in the school’s history with operating revenue raised of nearly $1.4 million.
• The Commonweal Foundation will have contributed $1 million over the last four years in scholarship and other financial support by July 2011.
• Public schools receive government support of $15,000 per pupil. Through active advocacy in Columbus, we hope that meaningful school choice will become the law in Ohio. If we were to get a mere $4,000 per student, we would be happy, the State would save money, and students would receive a better education.