In recent weeks, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Columbus welcomed nearly 18,000 students for the 2024-25 academic year, the highest count in 20 years. While administrators, faculty, staff, students and families work to establish expectations and routines for this school year, Theresa Vivona, associate director for advancement in the Office of Catholic Schools (OCS), sat down with Superintendent Adam Dufault to hear his thoughts on schools’ growth and continued challenges as well as his outlook on the next nine months and beyond.
Theresa: At the administrator meetings to kick off the new school year in early August, you unveiled this year’s theme grounded on John 15, “I Am the Vine, You Are the Branches: Growing in Community and Educating for Eternity.” Tell me a bit about why this theme was selected and what it means for Our Catholic Schools this year.
Dr. Dufault: This is the third school year that OCS has identified and promoted an annual theme, which helps us to succinctly capture and explain the vision and goals for the year, as well as the direction in which we are heading. This theme is then the subject of our opening meeting keynote and becomes the focus of our prayer and reflection at our annual Administrator Retreat at the end of September. Ultimately, it’s purpose is to align our more than 100 administrators to our mission in Catholic education. As the leaders in their local school communities, our administrators then bring their school’s staff and larger community into the same unified mission and vision.
This year’s theme was actually selected in joint effort by the team at the Office of Catholic Schools through prayerful discernment at our own retreat – this beautiful passage of Scripture spoke to us. In remaining close to Jesus, in remembering our joyful dependence on Him, we thrive. That unity captures where we are in as an authentic and unapologetically Catholic school system that teaches a Catholic worldview, sharing the goodness of God throughout the educational experience in all areas and in all ways.
Theresa: This is now your sixth school year as the Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Columbus. How have the schools evolved since you started? What would you say the greatest change/impact has been?
Dr. Dufault: We have amazing principals, teachers and staff in this diocese at each of our 50 schools. I am constantly impressed by the love of the Lord and the dedication shown by our educators to every family, every day. It has truly been a blessing and an honor to serve the Bishops of Columbus in this capacity over these years.
But, to answer your question, I’ve seen our schools continue to thrive. We’ve seen tremendous growth in enrollment, a significant increase in expansion projects to help us meet capacity, and a persistent demand for opening new schools in rapidly growing parts of the diocese. Families are seeking us out. They see the difference that a Catholic education offers and they want that for their children. Thanks be to God, this has never been more attainable or affordable than it is now.
Theresa: The growth in Our Catholic Schools has been tremendous! Even with such growth, I’m sure you see plenty of challenges, too. What is the greatest one you’re seeing in our schools?
Dr. Dufault: As in most sectors of the economy, hiring remains a challenge. We have outstanding educators in every school in the diocese, but we do not have as many as we need and are actively looking for more. I will say that I’m constantly meeting teachers with 35, 40, and 50 years of service in our schools, as well as teachers who are graduates of our schools and went to college with the goal of returning to become a teacher in the diocese. It’s such a blessing! But we still need others to join us.
The challenge is that serving in a Catholic school is far more than a job – it’s a calling and a ministry. We are all teacher-ministers, witnessing to our faith, living out the Lord’s Great Commission to make disciples. Our teachers have to desire to be in a Catholic school. Just last month, I had the great pleasure to address 140 new teachers at our New Teacher Orientation and was overjoyed to meet so many dedicated, on-mission, on-fire men and women eager to make a difference in our schools. The spirit of service and the joy was awesome. We’re attracting great people – we just need more!
On this topic, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention at this point that we have a Virtual Hiring Event coming up in September to draw attention to our schools and their staffing needs. Through various media channels – both Catholic and secular – we are hoping to connect those on-fire people with places where they are needed.
Theresa: It’s a new year; a clean slate, if you will. What are some of your goals for this academic year?
Dr. Dufault: This year, we continue the implementation of our current strategic plan but will soon be entering the development stages of our next plan. All that we are doing has been built on the framework of the 5 Marks of Catholic Schools, articulated by Archbishop Michael Miller in his The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Education, an excellent overview of what we do in Catholic schools. His five marks – and I could go on about this for quite some time – are that we are 1) inspired by a supernatural vision; 2) founded on a Christian anthropology; 3) animated by Communion and community; 4) imbued with a Catholic worldview throughout the curriculum; and 5) sustained by Gospel witness.
Much like the previous three years, our goals and our work this year remain to bring these pillars to life in every one of our schools. We are continuing to grow and thrive in an unapologetically Catholic culture, create and implement outstanding academic structures and experiences, operate in a fiscally sustainable way that plans for the future, and to offer every one of our nearly 18,000 students the very best of Catholic education every single day.
Theresa: You mention that work on the next strategic plan for Our Catholic Schools is on the horizon. Looking ahead – beyond this school year – what would you like to see our schools and our educators achieve together?
Dr. Dufault: Very simply, more kids and their families in more schools, learning to love and serve Jesus Christ as His disciples. As Bishop (Earl) Fernandes has said, we can measure the success of our schools by our students’ participation in the life of the Church. We are successful in our schools when living in faith becomes the way of life of all our families.
After all, we are not educating the future of the Church, we are educating, as Pope Francis said in Christus Vivet, the “Now of God.” The Church is in our classrooms and in their homes. We’re leading students to lives of faith for today, not just for tomorrow. This means that every minute of every class every day can be a moment of encounter with the Lord, guiding our students to embrace the great adventure of life with Jesus Christ. This is what we are working toward. A thriving, vibrant, dynamic Church. This is the beauty and impact of what Catholic education can do.
