Five things to know about the new superintendent of 100 Milwaukee Archdiocese schools

Milwaukee’s archbishop has appointed a new superintendent who will oversee about 100 Catholic schools that fall under the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

Edward Foy, current principal of Dominican High School, will begin as superintendent Aug. 1. Kathleen Cepelka is retiring after 12 years in the position. Here are five things to know about Foy and his new role.

The position sets policies for Catholic schools in 10 counties

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee oversees about 100 schools in 10 southeastern Wisconsin counties, which collectively educate about 27,000 students.

Each of those schools have their own operators, which include parishes and nonprofit boards of directors. But they look to the archdiocese superintendent for curriculum and policies as they relate to Catholicism. The superintendent’s office also provides training for staff about what it means to be Catholic.

Foy said he stands by the archdiocese policy on transgender students

An especially prominent policy came from the Archdiocese last year about transgender students, instructing schools not to recognize student transitions and forbidding all staff and students from designating their pronouns. As the Journal Sentinel reported, the policy, developed by a committee formed by the Milwaukee archbishop, left some transgender Catholics feeling erased.

Foy said he supported the policy, adding: “At the same time, part of being a Catholic is following the teachings of Jesus, welcoming everyone in the community.”

Asked whether that would include transgender students, he said, “For the transgender issue, the statement put forward by the archbishop is one I support.”

Unique history in Milwaukee has boosted enrollment in Catholic schools

Foy said the Milwaukee archdiocese is seen as a leader in the nation for enrollment in Catholic schools, in large part because of Wisconsin’s state-funded vouchers for lower-income students to attend private schools.

Nationwide, Catholic school enrollment peaked in the 1960s, then largely declined as more expensive teachers replaced nuns and brothers, tuition prices rose and fewer families prioritized a Catholic education. In Milwaukee, Catholic schools were buoyed by state action in the ‘90s to create the country’s first voucher program and extend it to religious schools. They saw another boost in 2011 when Republicans eliminated the enrollment cap and raised the income limit.

As of the 2021-22 school year, about 46% of students in Milwaukee archdiocese schools were using vouchers, according to the diocese's annual report. Foy said many families sought out Catholic schools during the pandemic as they held more in-person classes, and enrollment has "held strong."

Foy wants to see enrollment strengthen under new models for religious schools

Foy said he wants to continue the work of his predecessor, Cepelka, in supporting a range of models for structuring schools, rather than only the traditional model of each school being attached to a parish.

"The old one parish, one school model is really evolving, and that's something that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is leading the charge on across the country for Catholic education," Foy said. "I think we'll continue to see a growth in new governance models."

Many Catholic schools are now run by boards of directors that may include pastors from multiple parishes, along with other community leaders. For example, the board for the Seton Catholic Schools network consists of business and foundation leaders, along with representatives from the archdiocese and local parishes.

Foy comes from long legacy at Dominican High School

Foy has worked at Dominican High School, an archdiocese school in Whitefish Bay, for 19 years, starting as a teacher. His children have also attended the school.

"It's definitely very hard to leave Dominican, but I'm excited about the opportunity to work for our Catholic schools," he said.

Foy holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Marquette University and two degrees from University of Notre Dame: a master’s of education and a bachelor’s of business administration. He has also served on the Archdiocese Superintendent’s Advisory Council and Archdiocese Social Responsibility for Catholic Schools Task Force.

Contact Rory Linnane at rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @RoryLinnane. 

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Edward Foy new superintendent of Milwaukee Archdiocese Catholic schools