Racine lawyer Adrian Schoone is outside St. Catherine’s High School, Racine, with Dr. Sue Savaglio-Jarvis, President of Siena Catholic Schools, and students. (Submitted photo)
Racine attorney Adrian Schoone believes that good luck doesn’t just happen — it’s created when preparation meets opportunity.
With his gift of $270,993, he’s hoping to nurture a little more of both for the 1,600 students at Siena Catholic Schools of Racine.
The faith-based academics offered by Siena’s eight Catholic schools can “make the difference for the students who will take the opportunity of Catholic education and prepare themselves for the work necessary to make their own luck,” Schoone said.
The impact of Schoone’s gift will be “unprecedented,” as it is the largest unrestricted gift ever received by the system of Catholic schools, said Dr. Sue Savaglio-Jarvis, President of Siena Schools.
“We believe this gift will have a transformational effect on our Catholic school community with a long-lasting impact for the students and staff we serve,” said Dr. Savaglio-Jarvis. The gift is an investment and a belief in Siena Catholic Schools and what it provides for the greater Racine community, she said.
The money will be used to fund critical improvements at Our Lady of Grace Academy and St. Catherine’s High School, two aging facilities built in the 1920s that serve a combined 650 students in grades K-12.
Some of the gift also will be used to increase security features at Siena schools. Needs to be addressed range from updated cybersecurity to physical needs such an improved camera system needed at one school.
One improvement made possible by Schoone’s gift is the replacement of the commercial ovens at Our Lady of Grace Academy, which are used to serve breakfast and lunch for 240 students and staff in the building.
“The current ovens, from 1967, do not work, and parts for them are no longer manufactured,” explained Dr. Savaglio-Jarvis. “With the donation, we will be able to buy two new, modern convection commercial ovens.” The school will also be able to install flat-top cooking stoves to replace the current ones, which date to the 1970s and pose constant maintenance problems.
Much-needed improvements in the kitchen at St. Catherine’s will also be taking place. The current commercial walk-in freezer/refrigerator is almost 50 years old, and its condenser and fan units frequently break down, leading to loss of food products.
Also thanks to Schoone’s gift, St. Catherine’s library will finally be able to install new flooring, an item that has been on the school’s list of needed improvements for the past five years. The current flooring contains asbestos in the tile adhesive, which poses a health risk if tile pieces were to come loose. In some areas of the library, said Dr. Savaglio-Jarvis, existing carpeting that was installed 23 years ago over some of the tile is so degraded that it can no longer be properly cleaned.
This improvement — along with others in the works — will transform the library into “a dynamic, collaborative learning space that fully meets the diverse needs of today’s students,” said Zach Prideaux, theology teacher at St. Catherine’s.
“Imagine the intellectual curiosity sparked, the research journeys launched and the collaborative projects fostered within a modern, inspiring environment,” said Prideaux. “This enhancement will directly impact student engagement and achievement, providing our educators with enriched tools to nurture every child’s potential.”
Schoone, the parent of two alumni of St. Catherine’s and a member of St. Paul the Apostle in Racine, notes that his donation was made using the required minimum distribution of his retirement account, which he always donates to charity to avoid paying taxes. He encourages others to do the same.
“There are many people who benefited from Catholic education in the Racine area who are in perhaps a better position than I am to show their gratitude by doing what I do, which is to take the required minimum distribution from the retirement fund and give it all to, in this case, Catholic education of Racine,” he said. “If you don’t give it to charity, Uncle Sam takes a very appreciable part of it.”
Siena Catholic Schools requires ongoing financial support, said Dr. Savaglio-Jarvis, “particularly since our school buildings are aging and in need of significant maintenance and capital improvements.”
“Our students are truly surrounded by loving, compassionate Christian educators dedicated to their holistic development — spiritually, intellectually and personally. We achieve this profound mission often with fewer financial resources and a smaller staff than our counterparts,” Prideaux pointed out. “We simply cannot succeed without the enduring generosity of our community; our children are dependent upon this collective spirit of giving.”
An investment in a school, Dr. Savaglio-Jarvis noted, is really an investment in the future of the community.
“Charitable contributions provide a sustained sense of security for our staff and the broader community, enabling our students to thrive in both their academic pursuits and their faith-filled learning environments,” she said. “We are preparing them to be active contributors themselves to both the Racine community and the world at large.”
