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The Thomas More Prep-Marian Board of Trustees is the governing body of the school. Members of the board are three canonical leaders of the three parishes in Hays and four lay representatives from the Heartland parishes (Catholic churches in Ellis County).
On January 25, the Board announced a plan for leadership transition of the president and principal over the next few years. For academic year 2005-06, Jean Ross will be president, Ken Haas will be principal, and Kevin Splichal will be a part-time vice principal. Hass will be principal through June 2006. The Board is hopeful that Kevin Splichal will be ready to take the position of principal in June 2006. The board expects Jean Ross to continue as president for at least two years.
During this time, the board is looking for her replacement. Any candidate for the presidency of TMP-Marian must be a practicing Catholic educator, dedicated to Catholic education and a promoter of Catholic education in Ellis County. The board extends appreciation to Jean Ross and Ken Haas for their talents and dedicated service to TMP-Marian.
The TMP-Marian auditorium will be renovated in the summer. Parents and alumni have raised sufficient funds to replace the seating, install carpet, a sound system and new paint. Fundraising is underway for an air conditioning system and new stage curtains.
The Monarch Baseball Complex will continue to grow with the addition of another girl's softball field. A surfaced parking lot is also planned. The complex is available for tournaments. Advertisers can purchase space on the outfield fence. Al Billinger Fieldhouse will be fitted with a new sound system. Plans are being developed to convert part of the fieldhouse into an activity center for youth. Parents with children from Hays and Korea requested the formation of a soccer program. This is the second year of a three-year plan to develop soccer.
On the academic front, the religion teachers will be implementing a new Catholic religious education program. The program includes a workbook written by Father Fred Gatschet. Cheryl Glassman will be helping students deepen spiritual values with service projects and worship. The residency program continues to attract students from around the world by offering an “English as a second language program.” The residents enrich the learning environment for all the students.
Funding for TMP-Marian continues to be strong. Within the Heartland parishes, families have the option of attending a Catholic school, if the family tithes. About half of the school's budget comes from tithing. The residency program and tuition-paying students account for the other half of the school's budget. Fundraising efforts also helps the school reach the goal of a balanced budget. The Board of Trustees, the TMP Alumni Association, and the TMP Endowment Association are working closely to develop the position of an advancement director with hopes of hiring in 2005.
Catholic education in Ellis County will celebrate 100 years in 2008. We look forward to celebrating this achievement. However, we are not content to have only survived; instead we want to use 2005 as a year to develop the foundations for Catholic education for the next 100 years.
Michael N. Flesher is president of the board of trustees at
Thomas More Prep-Marian.