St. Louise Parish School in Bellevue is seeking a full-time Principal for the 2024-2025 school year. St. Louise Parish School opened in 1961 and has provided academic excellence in an atmosphere that fosters Catholic faith and values for over 60 years.  We offer a comprehensive curriculum, impressive facilities, and specialist teachers in the areas of music, art, P.E., technology, and library. St. Louise currently enrolls 328 students from diverse backgrounds and faith-filled families.

MISSION STATEMENT  

St. Louise Parish School is dedicated to providing pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students educational excellence in an atmosphere fostering Roman Catholic faith and values. We are committed to spiritual and personal growth, academic excellence, and service to others.  

PHILOSOPHY  

The primary purpose of St. Louise Parish School is to assist our families in the formation of their children as faith-filled people while providing a quality education. We value a diverse student body in terms of socioeconomic background and ethnicity. We celebrate the whole child recognizing that each person has a unique role in building the Kingdom of God. We strive to form a community in which the presence of God is deeply experienced, and to promote serving others as modeled by Jesus. 

PRINCIPAL JOB DESCRIPTION

RESPONSIBLE TO:  Pastor

POSITION PURPOSE: 

Manages St. Louise Parish School in conformity with Archdiocesan and local school policies, rules, and regulations.

DIMENSIONS and SUBORDINATE SUMMARIES:

Budget:  $3-$4 Million   

Employees:  49 in total, consisting of teachers, support/administrative staff, instructional assistants, Kids’ Club staff.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Practicing Catholic required
• Master’s Degree in Educational Administration, Educational Leadership, or similar advanced degree
• Holds a current Washington State Principal Certificate (or eligible)
• Minimum 5 years teaching experience
• Minimum 5-7 years administrative experience, preferably in a Catholic school setting

REQUIRED SKILL SET:

• Experience in Curriculum Development, professional development, and effective evaluations of staff
• Excellent administrative, oral, and written communication and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to successfully negotiate multiple demands and prioritize tasks
• Relationship-focused leader with an ability to connect with students, parents, faculty, and prospective families with ease and sincerity
• Demonstrated ability to show initiative, leadership, collaboration, and independent thinking
• Visionary leader who is able to honor the traditions and history of our school and community while also guiding the school forward into the future
• Preferred experience serving on an accreditation team or guiding a school through the Catholic accreditation process

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ensures the development and implementation of a vision and model for Christian leadership for St. Louise Catholic School. Principal accomplishes this by assuring that Gospel values are integrated into the learning environment of St. Louise.  Principal assures the development of a curriculum that fosters the knowledge of Catholic faith, honors the various stages of faith development for students, and promotes the incorporation of ethical decision-making into the students' lives.  Principal assures that opportunities for sacramental and liturgical celebrations are available for students and that retreats and other in-service opportunities for faith sharing are available for faculty and staff.
• Ensures that the school curriculum for St. Louise complies with both Archdiocesan and State standards. Principal oversees long-range planning which anticipates future curriculum needs and integrates them with current needs.  Principal also facilitates with the vice principal an ongoing evaluation of the current curriculum to determine areas of strength and weakness and to evaluate and purchase new textbooks when necessary, and works with the faculty to supplement programs as needed.
• Assures the development and maintenance of a system of effective communication between parents and teachers and between parents and the school administration. Principal accomplishes this by convening general parent meetings as well as meetings for parents with individual needs/concerns.  Principal also provides clear written policies and procedures on the school's mission, policies, guidelines, and standards by updating the Parent Handbook annually.  Principal assures parents receive from teachers ongoing reports of their child's progress.  Principal attends Parent Club meetings and assures parents have opportunities to volunteer their time and talents in the school's many programs requiring volunteer help.
• Manages the human resources for St. Louise School and ensures the supervision of certified and support staff. Principal accomplishes this by recruiting, interviewing, hiring, evaluating, supporting, and terminating all employees.  The principal assures all employees have job descriptions and/or contracts that describe their duties and responsibilities.  Principal also monitors teachers' performance through annual evaluations, ongoing walk-throughs, and reviewing report cards before being given to students.  Principal and the vice-principal observe individual classrooms routinely and give teachers written reports of classroom observations based on the Archdiocesan tool for teacher evaluation.  The principal provides teachers with in-service days prior to the opening of school and ensures that staff meetings are held weekly.  Such staff meetings are meant to provide regular opportunities for open communication between faculty and the administration and to provide in-service for staff development.  Principal and vice-principal dialogue with teachers individually three times yearly to discuss faith and professional growth and the teachers as instructional leaders.
• Assists the vice-principal in assuring student discipline policies and procedures are implemented. Co-manages student files indicating individual circumstances of each student's involvement with the discipline cycle, and shares responsibility with the vice-principal in having students referred by teachers for disciplinary action.  Acts as an advisor to teachers and parents about those students who show concerns in both behavior and academics. 
• Ensure weekly family and parish bulletins have appropriate and timely information by publishing a weekly family bulletin, which includes a personal letter to the parents. Assures faculty have appropriate and timely information by creating and publishing a weekly faculty bulletin.
• Serves as the Executive Officer of the School Commission. Principal accomplishes this by initiating, implementing, and reviewing policies and by communicating the schools' needs and future directions.  Serves as the head of the Planning and Policy Sub-Committee of the School Commission. The principal also helps plan the monthly Commission meeting agenda and gives a monthly report on the state of the school.  The principal shares the development of yearly school goals and objectives with the Commission in order to clearly define the school's programs for the year. The principal collaborates with the Commission in preparing the annual budget and modifying it as needed.
• Ensures the ongoing financial and marketing development of the school by overseeing the work of the Associate Development Director. Assures the ongoing financial and marketing development of the school by overseeing the work of the Associate Development Director. Principal also supervises the bookkeeper.
• Directs the bookkeeper and assures the ongoing financial and marketing development of the school by overseeing the work of the School Commission’s Finance Committee in developing, managing, and implementing the annual school budget. The principal monitors the budget monthly and works with the Finance Committee to ensure the budget is managed in a fiscally sound way.
• Oversees the monthly monitoring of tuition collections and trimester monitoring of volunteer hour and fundraising commitment, as required in the school's tuition and parent contract. Principal addresses families not complying with the contract and takes any necessary actions.  The Principal assists families with Tuition Assistance Grants. 
• Coordinates the scheduling and sign-ups of faculty responsibilities and activities.
• Coordinates the school's honor roll program by distributing the criteria for honor roll to the teachers and oversees the completion and distribution of the ribbons. Produces the list of students to the office for publication in the bulletin and posted to the office bulletin board.
• Along with the secretary, manages school registration throughout the year. The principal interviews prospective students and parents and, along with the associate development director, holds information meetings for new registration. The principal, with assistance from the review team, makes decisions on accepting students in the school.
• Assures the safety of the children of St. Louise School by periodic checks of the playground and classrooms, and by regular fire drills and earthquake drills. Principal accomplishes this by establishing, publishing, and practicing emergency procedures to be followed in the case of fire, earthquake, or other disasters, and by communicating with the parish lay administrator and maintenance supervisor when facility safety concerns are present.  The principal also oversees the school’s Emergency Preparedness Committee.
• Works with the Pastor to provide a unifying and stable parish administration by being sensitive to staff relations and offering the Pastor advice on administrative matters, staff development, and parish pastoral life, and by exercising responsible presence to boards and committees or leadership groups he serves.
• Acts as liaison between Pastor and school community. The principal attends regular meetings with the Pastor as well as periodic meetings with Parish Administration Staff to inform and update.
• Participates in Archdiocesan and Deanery Principal meetings and committees as appropriate. The principal assures the needs and values of St. Louise School are communicated and integrated into the Archdiocesan vision for Catholic Schools.
• Position often requires working outside normal business hours, including attending evening and weekend events, as needed. Must be available during June and August to ensure the adequate closing of one school year and preparation for the upcoming year. Principal generally takes time off during the month of July but must be available as needed. Specific dates will be established yearly, usually consisting of an additional 30 days past the usual school year's length of 185 days, for a total of 215 days.

Salary: $115,00 - $144,000

Any offered salary is determined based on internal equity, internal salary ranges, market data, applicant’s skills and prior relevant experience, degrees, and certifications.

Benefits: A comprehensive package of benefits is offered including two medical plan options, dental, vision, life, accidental death and disability, long term disability, pension, 403(b), HSA, FSA, and generous sick leave, vacation, and holidays.

To apply, please go to the Office for Catholic Schools website: Archdiocese of Seattle Catholic Schools - Frontline Recruitment (applitrack.com)

Deadline for application: Open until filled

For more information about our school please visit the school Website: St. Louise School (stlouiseschool.org)

About Archdiocese of Seattle - Office for Catholic Schools

The Archdiocese of Seattle, located in western Washington state, reaches from the Canadian border in the north to the Columbia River on the border between Oregon and Washington states to the south. The schools are joined together as 62 elementary and 11 high schools. The Office for Catholic Schools located in Seattle serves the schools with support for curriculum, staffing and professional development.

Connections working at Archdiocese of Seattle - Office for Catholic Schools