Catholic Schools
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Why Choose a Catholic School for your family?
Faith, Academics and Service
+ + + +Visit one of our Catholic Schools today and
find what you have been searching for.Call our Catholic Schools Office for more information 956-784-5051.
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MISSION STATEMENT
The Mission of our Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Brownsville remains to serve a vital role in the educational ministry of the Church. Our Catholic Schools are committed to providing quality education in an environment of spiritual, intellectual, and moral formation in accordance with the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.
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Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Brownsville provide a unique environment in which students can experience the support and encouragement of a faith community. Well-qualified administrators and faculty are dedicated to providing each student with the educational experiences that encourage academic excellence, develop the whole person, foster a life-long love of learning and promote an awareness of the needs of the community.
While each of our schools has their own unique spirit there are common themes we hear from families in all of our schools.
-centered in Christ- family environment - student centered - holistic education - academic rigor - financial accessibility - outstanding faculty and staff - service and values.
Other facts:- Strong Catholic Identity is assured through daily religion classes, a rigorous certification program for teachers of religion, weekly attendance at liturgy and a dedicated faculty and staff that model and teach Gospel values.
- Accreditation of all schools is through the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Education Department (TCCB ED)
- Academic Excellence is documented using NWEA Assessment which consistently show students to rank academically well above national average.
- Parents are seen as partners and are encouraged to be active participants in their children's education.
- The Catholic Schools Office provides supervision for the 10 Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Brownsville.
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WHAT IS THE TEXAS EDUCATION FREEDOM ACCOUNTS (TEFA)
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We are reminded daily of the many blessings and resources available to our Catholic schools: talented students, supportive families, high-quality teachers, excellent administrators, support staff members, strong faith communities and dedicated clergy, religious men and women. Most importantly, we are grateful for the support of our Bishop, Daniel E. Flores, Auxillary Bishop Mario Aviles and the financial support and sacrifices of the parishioners in our diocese who generously contribute to make Catholic education possible for our students.
Our Catholic schools reflect on-going continuous improvement efforts in all areas of curriculum. We commit ourselves to teaching all subjects well, especially through the teaching of the Good News of Jesus Christ; to forming community through which the presence of our God is experienced among faith-filled people; and to serving others following the example of our Lord.At the same time, we are aware of our duties to be good stewards of the resources with which we have been graced. With the assistance of our parents, pastors, and school advisory councils, our schools remain, for the most part, financially viable. We continue to seek ways to benefit from strategic purchasing efforts and to access federal programs for our students and teachers.
We have two main goals in the Office of Catholic Schools – our Catholic schools must be Mission-driven, focusing on our Catholic Faith and that our Catholic schools promote academic excellence within a safe environment.We invite you to visit one of our Catholic schools in your area and to see what our schools can offer to you and your child. God Bless You!
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- The Catholic School Office
- Accreditation
- Texas Education Freedom Accounts TEFA
- Employment Application Packet
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Our office provides support to our eleven schools where students develop spiritually, intellectually, socially, and morally. The Catholic Schools Office is committed in partnership with school and parish leaders, parents and the global community to prepare students to become missionary disciples and to share the teachings and spirit of Jesus.
- Catholic Identity
- Supervise: seven elementary, one middle and two high schools (Parish and Private)
- Accreditation, Curriculum, Testing, Professional Development, In-service Days for schools
- Faith Formation (Certification for teachers of religion)
- Policies and Procedures
- Background Checks (Faculty, Staff & Volunteers).
- School Counseling Program
- Special Programs
- Athletics
- Vocation Awareness Days
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accreditationTEXAS CATHOLIC CONFERENCE OF BISHOPS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TCCB ED
To ensure students in Texas' Catholic schools reach academic excellence and experience quality faith formation, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Education Department (TCCB ED) provides an accreditation program, which is recognized by the state’s Texas Education Agency (TEA).
The accreditation program focuses on school improvements and accountability. It is intended to strengthen Catholic school mission and identity, and to engage Catholic schools in the ongoing improvement of student academic performance.
Member schools begin the accreditation process with a criteria-based self-study where school leadership examine specific aspects of school life including Catholic Identity, Operational Vitality, Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, Support Services and Plant and Facilities.
An accreditation team is comprised of educators from other schools who are trained in the accreditation process. During a three-day visit, the accreditation team uses TCCB ED standards to evaluate the school. They complete a Visiting Team Consensus Report (VTCR) which details the strengths and areas that need attention.
The VTCR is assigned to a member of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Accreditation Commission, which consists of two bishops, six commissioners at large, and six current Catholic school superintendents.
The commissioner reviews the school’s self-study and presents the findings of the Visiting Team committee and then to the Commission as a whole.
The school is assigned an accreditation status and receives an Accreditation Status Report. The report defines what needs to be addressed in periods of 90 days, one year and three years.
Each Catholic school is accredited every seven years and provides annual reports for continued school accreditation.
The Catholic schools in Texas, through the TCCB ED, function within a larger community of educators. TCCB-ED has a formal relationship not only with the state of Texas’ TEA but is also a member of the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission. TEPSAC helps ensure quality in private schools by monitoring and approving organizations that accredit non-public elementary and secondary schools in the state of Texas.
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TEXAS EDUCATION FREEDOM ACCOUNTS
The Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program is a significant step forward in empowering families to tailor their children's education to their specific needs. TEFA are a publicly funded savings accounts that can be used for qualified educational expenses, including private and Catholic school tuition, uniforms, meals, textbooks, therapies, tutoring and more. The program prioritizes students with disabilities and low-income families, creating a pathway to Catholic education. Our Catholic schools are rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ where students grow in faith and wisdom.
Who is eligible?+Students may apply for the TEFA program while enrolled in a public or charter school, but, once accepted into the program, they cannot be enrolled full time in a public or charter school during the school year in which they use those funds.
If applications exceed the limited number of available TEFA, TEFA will be allocated by lottery.
- Priority group 1 – children with disabilities whose family income is equal or less than 500% of Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) (see chart)
- Priority group 2 – children whose family income is equal or less than 200% of poverty guidelines
- Priority group 3 – children whose family income is between 200% and 500% of poverty guidelines
- Priority group 4 – all other eligible children
- Group 4 prioritizes students switching from public school
- Funding for group 4 is capped at 20% of the total appropriation in the TEFA program
If a child is approved, so are the child’s siblings who applied.
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“The Church celebrates a fruitful educational history but also faces the imperative to update its proposals in light of the signs of the times,”
“We are aware of the difficulties: hyper-digitalization can fragment attention; the crisis of relationships can wound the psyche; social insecurity and inequalities can extinguish desire,”
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“Yet, it is precisely here that Catholic education can be a beacon: not a nostalgic refuge but a laboratory of discernment, pedagogical innovation, and prophetic witness.”
“Where access to education remains a privilege, the Church must push open doors and invent new paths, because ‘losing the poor’ is equivalent to losing the school itself,”
“Drawing New Maps of Hope,” Pope Leo reflects on the role of a Catholic education 60 years after the Oct. 28, 1965, proclamation of Gravissimum Educationis, the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on Christian education.
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Our catholic school communities - web pages
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Links
- St. Mary's School - Brownsville - Early Childhood to Grade 6
- St. Anthony School - Harlingen - Early Childhood to Grade 5
- Oratory Academy - Pharr - PreK 3 to Grade 8
- Our Lady of Sorrows School - McAllen - PreK3 to Grade 8
- St. Joseph School - Edinburg - Early Childhood to Grade 8
- Immaculate Conception School - Rio Grande City - PreK3 to Grade 8
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Contact Us
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Most Rev. Mario A. Avilés, C.O Aux. Bishop of BrownsvilleSuperintendent
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Mary Latigomlatigocdob.orgSecretary
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Office Location
Catholic Pastoral Center
700 Virgen de San Juan
San Juan, Texas, 78589(956) 784-5051
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