Affton's Seven Holy Founders parish school may soon join the consolidation planned for three other local Catholic schools.

The new Holy Cross Academy school system will include students from Annunciation in Webster Groves, Our Lady of Providence in Crestwood and St. Michael the Archangel in Shrewsbury. Representatives from the three parishes announced that they were combining the schools last fall.

Under the current plan, the St. Michael and Our Lady of Providence campuses will serve students in kindergarten through fifth-grade. The Annunciation campus will become the academy's middle school serving sixth- through eighth-grade students.

After the plan was announced, the Seven Holy Founders school board inquired about joining the new system, said St. Michael's principal and newly named Holy Cross President Amie Koenen.

Now both the Seven Holy Founders and the Holy Cross Academy school boards have voted unanimously to include the fourth parish in the consolidation. However the move must still be approved by the St. Louis Archdiocese before it becomes official.

"A fourth parish makes for a stronger system," Koenen told Patch.

If approved, Seven Holy Founders would likely host one of the system's pre-K through 5th grade campuses.

Holy Cross Academy has also announced its leadership team for the 2012-2013 school year.

Koenen, the principal at St. Michael's, has been named president of the new school system. The Rev. Robert Evans, pastor of Annunciation Catholic Church, will serve as the academy's pastor.

Evans will spearhead the academy’s Catholic identity efforts and will be the chosen representative of the other parish pastors, which include the Rev. Dennis Doyle of St. Michael and the Rev. Dave Rauch of Our Lady of Providence. Koenen will work with Evans to ensure the academy’s mission is represented at the three campuses.

As currently formulated before the addition of Seven Holy Founders, leadership at the three campuses will include:

• Michael Biggs, the principal at Annunciation Catholic School, will be the principal of the middle school campus, which will be located at Annunciation.
• Laura Clark, the principal of Our Lady of Providence, will serve as the principal of the elementary campus at that school.
• Kristi Mantych, the eighth grade homeroom and science teacher at St. Michael the Archangel, will become principal at the elementary campus there.

“We are blessed to have found three individuals who are not just excellent teachers and leaders who are committed to Catholic education, but who share our passion toward the formation of Holy Cross Academy,” Koenen said in a statement. “We see this as such a positive and natural evolution of Catholic education in a way that we can sustain for generations to come, and that’s thrilling to all of us as Catholics, parents and educators.”

The academy has also appointed a board of directors:

• John James, a Saint Louis University professor and noted expert in Catholic education, will serve as the chairman of the board.
• Mark Hite, an Annunciation parishioner and parent of two future Holy Cross Academy students, will be vice chairman.
• Carolyn Conboy, an Our Lady of Providence parishioner and parent of five future Holy Cross Academy students, will serve as secretary.
• Ed Kopff, a St. Michael the Archangel parishioner and parent of one future Holy Cross Academy student, will be treasurer.

Other board members include: Jim Childress; Fred Entrikin; Ann Kleitsch; Kelli Powers; Ron Rebore; Elizabeth Rolwes; John Schicker; Pat Wheadon; and Jim Woodcock. 

The academy's new website provides short bios on each member of the leadership team and the board.