Changes coming for ACES Xavier system

APPLETON - Big changes are coming to the Appleton Catholic school system and it could include closing some elementary schools.

The ACES Xavier Education System is also changing its name and moving fifth grade students to the middle school.

Leaders say the changes are designed to better utilize the space available in their school buildings.

Starting next school year, the ACES Xavier Catholic School System will be known as the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System. But that is just the beginning.

"It is very much a longer range plan. We want this to be viable for the long term," said ACES Xavier president, Deacon Ray DuBois.

To achieve that goal, Deacon DuBois says a committee is studying the closure of two of the four elementary schools in the system.

"Catholic Central was one of two schools officials looked at closing in 2009. Deacon DuBois would not say if Central is on that list this time. But he did say any decision to close a school would be more than just a financial decision."

"We're doing a very objective analysis of what we've got physical plant wise and that's everything," said DuBois.

Enrollment in the Xavier schools has hovered around 1,700 students for the last five years. Some parents we spoke to, who did not want to go on camera said the possibility of closing elementary schools is concerning. But others say they support the changes that will shore up the school system as a whole for the long term.

"I think forward movement and growth is important for both the schools and the system both academically and financially," said Beth Power of Appleton, mother of two St. Pius students.

Starting with the 2014-15 school year, fifth grade students would move to St. Joseph's Middle School. Deacon DuBois says the move will create more educational opportunities for those students.

"A lot of the kids who are going to benefit from this plan that we are talking about, haven't even been born yet," said DuBois.

All with an eye toward keeping Catholic education thriving.

"I do a lot of things with parents at the other schools and I think there is a really great camaraderie and I think we all want to work together to do what is best for the system," said Power.

DuBois says the school consolidation study should be finished in a few weeks. Parish pastors will make a final decision on the plan by the end of January.