Seton Family Continues to GrowRead Time 4 min

This summer, the Seton Family of Catholic Schools will grow to 11 schools with the  addition of St. Margaret Mary School in Milwaukee. Seton President, Brian Couch, said of the northside school, “We’re very excited to have them with us and to use our experience operating Seton schools as they are integrated into our family.”

Over the last five years, Seton schools have deepened their Catholic identity and made significant progress in advancing academic excellence, business operations and community partnerships. They’re anxious to bring everything they’ve learned to the integration of St. Margaret Mary and other schools that will join their family thereafter.

“We’ve spent the last year working with St. Margaret Mary, bringing the Seton formation and education model into the school,” Couch said.  In that time, Seton has been able to hire a principal and other staff for the school that have enabled them to begin to work with the school’s team to adopt best practices used in Seton schools.

With an enrollment of 130 students, St. Margaret Mary brings the total Seton student population to approximately 2,600 students at the 11 schools, which is roughly 10 percent of the total students in the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.  Our schools are primarily in economically disadvantaged areas, with seven out of eight of our students attending through either the Milwaukee or Wisconsin Parent Choice Programs” Couch said. “In particular, we’re working with schools that are financially challenged with Seton providing students opportunities that they wouldn’t have otherwise, with nine out of our ten schools rated 4-stars or 5-stars by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.”

Seton is also focusing on organic enrollment growth in the current schools.  They aim to offer a compelling opportunity for parents to enroll their students in irresistible Catholic schools, where those who walk through the doors feel a sense of joy and know that the students within that building are loved and their relationship with the Lord is being fostered and growing. The culture of community and family is one that every Seton school works to develop, and it begins with their principal, teachers and staff.  Seton Schools are dedicated to being part of the fabric that stitches neighborhoods together.

“We want our schools to have a reputation for delighting Seton families,” Couch said. “Parents are the best ambassadors to share their student’s Seton story with other parents.”