The Saint Croix Valley Catholic Education Foundation is seeking a mission-driven, entrepreneurial Catholic educational leader to serve as the founding Principal of Solanus Catholic High School, a new Catholic high school planned for the Saint Croix River Valley under the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin. The school is expected to launch with a 9th grade class in Fall 2027 at Saint Patrick Catholic School in Hudson, Wisconsin, with additional grade levels added in subsequent years.
This is a rare opportunity to help form a new Catholic high school from its earliest stages-shaping its culture, academic program, faculty, enrollment strategy, advancement efforts, and Catholic identity while leveraging existing facilities and operational infrastructure.
Position Summary
The Principal will serve as the chief executive, spiritual, educational, and operational leader of Solanus Catholic High School. Rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ and the mission of Catholic education, the Principal will provide visionary leadership that advances academic excellence, faith formation, student development, institutional sustainability, and a vibrant school culture.
The Principal will collaborate closely with the Supervising Pastor, Board of Directors, diocesan leadership, faculty, staff, parents, benefactors, and the broader community to ensure that the school remains faithful to its Catholic identity while preparing students for lives of faith, leadership, service, and intellectual growth.
Key Responsibilities
Faith Leadership and Catholic Formation
- Advance and safeguard the school's Catholic mission, identity, traditions, and values.
- Promote liturgical life, retreats, service learning, campus ministry, and spiritual growth for students, faculty, staff, and families.
- Ensure that religious instruction, faith formation, and school culture are consistent with Catholic teaching and diocesan expectations.
- Serve as a visible witness to the Gospel through personal integrity, prayerful leadership, pastoral presence, and commitment to the dignity of every person.
Founding, Strategic, and Organizational Leadership
- Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing assessment of the school's strategic plan.
- Establish annual goals, metrics, and priorities in consultation with the Board of Directors, Supervising Pastor, and diocesan authority.
- Build the systems, culture, policies, and practices needed for a successful Catholic high school launch.
- Anticipate emerging educational, demographic, cultural, technological, and financial trends that may affect the school's future.
Academic Excellence and Student Formation
- Ensure a rigorous, mission-aligned academic program that prepares students for college, career, discipleship, and responsible citizenship.
- Support curriculum development, instructional excellence, assessment practices, accreditation requirements, and continuous improvement.
- Promote the formation of the whole person-spiritual, intellectual, moral, social, emotional, and physical.
- Maintain a safe, orderly, inclusive, and respectful learning environment grounded in Catholic teaching and high expectations.
Enrollment, Advancement, and Community Engagement
- Lead student recruitment, retention, admissions, and marketing efforts, with enrollment growth as a top founding priority.
- Build relationships with Catholic and public elementary schools, pastors, parish leaders, parents, alumni, benefactors, civic leaders, and community partners.
- Serve as the chief ambassador and spokesperson for the school, communicating its mission, value, achievements, and needs with clarity and conviction.
- Support fundraising, annual giving, major gifts, capital initiatives, grants, and donor stewardship in collaboration with advancement staff and board leadership.
Faculty, Staff, Finance, and Operations
- Recruit, hire, form, supervise, evaluate, and retain highly qualified faculty, staff, and administrators.
- Foster a professional culture marked by collaboration, accountability, instructional growth, spiritual formation, and mutual respect.
- Prepare and manage the annual budget, monitor financial sustainability, and ensure responsible stewardship of school resources.
- Maintain policies, systems, and procedures that support operational excellence, risk management, safety, safeguarding requirements, diocesan policies, and legal compliance.
Qualifications
- Practicing Catholic in good standing who understands, embraces, and can articulate the mission of Catholic education.
- Master's degree required; advanced degree in educational leadership, administration, theology, business, nonprofit leadership, or a related field preferred.
- Successful senior leadership experience in a Catholic school, independent school, diocesan office, nonprofit, or comparable mission-driven organization.
- Demonstrated ability to lead strategic planning, personnel management, budget oversight, academic improvement, enrollment growth, institutional advancement, and community engagement.
- Knowledge of secondary education, adolescent formation, Catholic social teaching, accreditation standards, school safety, and legal and regulatory responsibilities.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, pastoral, organizational, and decision-making skills.
- Certified or certifiable in administration by the State of Wisconsin.
- At least three years of successful teaching in Catholic schools or similar experience.
- Working knowledge of current Church documents related to Catholic schools.
- Approval by the Diocesan Bishop and Superintendent of Catholic Schools.
Desired Leadership Attributes
- Mission-driven Catholic leader who integrates faith, reason, service, and excellence.
- Strategic thinker who can translate vision into measurable action.
- Collaborative relationship-builder who inspires trust across diverse constituencies.
- Skilled communicator who listens well, speaks clearly, and represents the school effectively.
- Prudent and courageous leader who balances compassion, accountability, and sound judgment.
- Effective steward of institutional resources with an understanding of enrollment, advancement, finance, facilities, and long-term sustainability.
Working Conditions and Compensation
This is a full-time, exempt leadership position requiring availability beyond regular school hours for board meetings, school events, liturgies, parent and alumni activities, admissions events, fundraising engagements, emergencies, and other mission-critical responsibilities. The Principal is expected to maintain a visible presence in the life of the school and to represent the institution with professionalism, discretion, and fidelity to its Catholic mission.
The anticipated annual salary will be commensurate with experience, qualifications, demonstrated leadership record, school size, enrollment, governance structure, and scope of responsibility. The salary is intended to be competitive with Catholic school principal and high school principal compensation benchmarks in Wisconsin and Minnesota. A comprehensive benefits package includes health, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, professional development, and other benefits consistent with school policy. Appropriate relocation benefits will be available if the successful candidate must relocate.