Private schools gain popularity, grow with help from private donors

With the 2024-25 school year underway, we checked in with four of Rochester’s private schools to find out what they currently see as points of celebration and challenges for their institutions and non-public schools in general.

Bishop Kearney, A Golisano Education Partner

“We are, in fact, in growth mode,” said Paul Colontino, president, Bishop Kearney, A Golisano Education Partner. “We’ve been able to update facilities and add facilities, teachers and staffing. To me, those are all exciting things because … it all points to the student experience. And I think if we’re celebrating anything, the student experience is at the top of the list.”

The Roman Catholic co-educational institution, founded in 1962 and located in Irondequoit, continually strives to raise the bar for its students in grades six through twelve.

“Whether it’s adding more electives, more clubs or sports or more opportunities in the STEM wing, the hardest part is finding financial support as a private school versus a public school,” Colontino said. “We have to go out and create our own support and get some help from our alumni and individuals who support the cause.”

Bishop Kearney recently received a big boost when longtime supporter Tom Golisano announced the school as one of eighty-two non-profit Western New York organizations that will receive part of a $360M gift.

“This is a tremendous shot in the arm,” said Colontino, who notes the unrestricted gift of $5M is not just a financial boost, but a mental one because it affirms the good work the school is doing. “From both the students and staff there’s a certain energy hearing about and receiving such a gift. It’s a good feeling because there’s stability attached to that.”

Charles Finney School

At the Charles Finney School, a private, non-denominational Christian school in Penfield for students in PreK to twelve, enrollment and donors who are stepping up and supporting the school are top of the celebration list, according to Michael VanLeeuwen, president/CEO.

“We’re celebrating a continued increase in enrollment over the last two to three years,” VanLeeuwen said. “Since then, we’ve added about two hundred students.”

The growth is reflective of national trends. While most school-age children (5-17) in the United States attend public and charter schools, the number of children attending private schools is inching up, according to the most recent federal Census data.

In 2012, the share of public-school students was 86.3 percent, and the share of private school students was 10.6 percent. In 2022, the percentage had shifted to 84 percent in public schools and 11.8 percent in private schools.

With that growth comes some challenges in terms of being able to offer more services, staffing and physical facilities VanLeeuwen said, and that’s where the generosity of private donors becomes vitally important.

“Most recently Mr. Golisano’s gift [$3M] is huge for our small school,” VanLeeuwen said. “Because we’ve only been around about 34 years, compared to some of the private schools who have been here almost a century or longer and have a much larger alumni base that they can rely on, it’s huge.”

Allendale Columbia School

Founded in 1890, the Allendale Columbia School in Pittsford is an independent school for students from toddler age through grade 12. This school year began with a nearly 100% retention rate of its teaching faculty.

“I think that speaks to our school, but I think it does speak to a larger trend in independent schools where teachers are given a lot of autonomy to be able to teach what’s truly best for the student and not be handed a curriculum that they have to deliver,” said Shannon Baudo, head of school.

Respecting that teachers are professionals who are amazing at what they do and giving them more freedom to teach outside mandated curriculum has a trickledown effect that is worthy of celebrating, Baudo said.

“When we have a happy teacher who loves being where they are, they choose to stay, which is what we’ve seen, and I think that’s true of what a lot of independent schools have seen,” Baudo said. “It results in happy kids when you have happy teachers.”

One challenge Baudo believes independent schools continually face is the faulty assumption that they are only for families who have the financial means.

“I always want to try and dispel that myth as much as possible and reiterate to the community that we are trying to make it accessible for all families if this is where they want to be and if we are a good match for their child,” Baudo said.

Allendale Columbia School was also one of the non-profits to receive a gift from Golisano last month. Baudo called their gift of $5M a huge lift that will help make it possible for Allendale Columbia to be able to be here for the long term for future generations.

Diocese of Rochester Catholic Schools

Frank Arvizzigno is the superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Rochester, where he oversees the diocese’s fifteen schools that serve 2,300 students in grades pre-K3 to six.

“We have so many positive things happening across our Catholic schools,” said Arvizzigno, pointing to the organization’s recent reaccreditation by the Middle States Association. “It confirms what we already know: that our schools do have high standards, our students perform extremely well and that they are achieving across all subject areas.”

Other points of celebration Arvizzigno notes are a Catechism training program the school system instituted this year for faculty through the Franciscan Institute, the continued service-oriented opportunities for students, and the financial aid and scholarships families can apply for.

“I think the biggest challenge we face is funding,” Arvizzigno said. “We still struggle to receive the same funding that public schools receive. It’s it has gotten better, but we’re still not there yet.”

He notes Bishop Salvatore Matano is extremely supportive of the Diocese of Rochester’s Catholic schools and visits them regularly. Arvizzigno likens the atmosphere in the schools to a family environment.

“We had many students come from the public school system during the pandemic and a lot of them stayed because they loved it so much,” Arvizzigno said.

Caurie Putnam is a Rochester-area freelance writer.