By David Eck

ARCHDIOCESE — All Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati can now recruit students from across the region under an agreement that went into effect earlier this month.

Since at least the 1960s, interparochial high schools could only recruit students from elementary schools within assigned boundaries. The agreement, which went into effect July 1, dissolves the boundaries.

Students have been able to attend any high school they wished, regardless of where they lived, but the interparochial high schools could not contact students outside of their assigned areas, officials said. Private Catholic schools were not bound by the requirement.

"High schools can now recruit wherever," said Marianist Brother Joseph Kamis, superintendent of schools for the archdiocese. "Kids can still go wherever they want, like they have been. The whole idea is we want to get students who are attending Catholic elementary schools into the Catholic high schools."

Elimination of the boundaries has been discussed for years, officials said, particularly as Catholic elementary schools closed and merged, leaving some high schools with fewer "feeder" elementaries.

"It wasn’t making a lot of sense for some schools," said Jan Kennedy, assistant superintendent for the archdiocese. "(In) urban areas where populations were declining, the pool of available students was significantly smaller than it had been when the boundaries were established."

Cincinnati’s Purcell Marian High School, which lost several feeder schools that closed, has had an exemption from the boundaries since late 2005, after it asked for one.

"It was wide open for us as it is now for everybody," said Al Early, Purcell Marian principal. "We’re not the only school that has had feeder schools close. It’s all over."

The change could help the schools by stabilizing enrollment.

"The upside for the schools is that expanded pool of students they can actually talk to and invite into their schools," Kennedy said. "Almost all of the schools are experiencing a decline in enrollment so they see this as a way they can at least keep their enrollment steady.’’

As the high schools ramp up their marketing efforts to a wider area, they worked to minimize the effect on the Catholic elementary schools in the archdiocese.

Under the agreement, representatives from the high schools will no longer visit elementary schools during the school day. Instead, information sessions will be scheduled by elementary school clusters in the archdiocese, in which high schools can choose to participate.

A committee representing the elementary and high schools will organize the sessions. Currently there are nine such events planned for this fall.

The sessions will allow parents to get information on several high schools at one time.

"Having the information nights obviously would be an advantage for the parents," said Brian Pendergest, principal at McNicholas High School in Cincinnati. "It makes it easier for them."

Eighth-grade students will be allowed to shadow at high schools under the agreement; however, they are encouraged to shadow on days that their own elementary school is not in session. Students are strongly recommended to shadow only once at each prospective high school.

As for high school placement testing, the test will be administered at all high schools on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and all high schools agree to accept the results of the test at any Catholic high school in the archdiocese for entrance/placement and scholarship consideration, according to the agreement.

The agreement also details an Ohio High School Athletic Association bylaw that strictly prohibits schools from recruiting prospective athletes for athletic purposes.

"We want to keep it very positive," Brother Joe said. "We’re trying to help all the schools do well."

The high schools are gearing up for the change by updating their web sites, increasing their mailings, and preparing for the information events.

"High schools have not gone about recruiting in a college manner like this before," Pendergest said. "It’ll be a new experience for everybody."

McNicholas will provide more information on its web site to reach students in the wider area.

"I think it’s going to make everyone compete a little bit harder than they have in the past," Pendergest said. "As time goes on everyone’s going to have to be a little more creative in their recruiting."

Tom Otten, principal at Elder High School, an all-boys school on Cincinnati’s west side, where population has decreased, supported dissolving the boundaries. He chaired the committee that developed the agreement.

"I think we’ve got a tremendous program going at Elder High School," he said. "We’re in an older part of the city. I would like to be able to inform parents what Elder has to offer for their sons. Under the (old) rules, we were limited to parishes who were assigned to us.

"I think it’s a healthy thing because it’s forced every one of us to take a look (at their schools). It’s resulted in some soul searching for every one of us."

At Mother of Mercy High School, an all-girls school in Cincinnati, officials are reviewing ways of providing information about the school to parents.

"We have to do it on a wider scale now," said Sister of Mercy Nancy Merkle, principal. "You have to communicate the message of your school in the best possible way. I think our message is very strong, and I think it’s very well known."

St. Ursula Academy, a private all-girls school in Cincinnati, will also be using its web site to market itself, as well as holding open houses and showcasing its "tablet PC" program. The school will use personal contact and mailings, too.

"We have been competing with all of those schools anyway," said Judy Wimberg, president of St. Ursula Academy. "It really doesn’t change. We were in direct competition with every single (particular) high school in Cincinnati."

Chaminade-Julienne High School, one of three Catholic high schools in Dayton, will rely on mailings and developing relationships.

"It opens up new relationships to develop," said John Marshall, Chaminade-Julienne principal. "When it comes down to it people make choices because of what they hear and what they know."

Sister Nancy said there will be enrollment challenges, because the boundaries provided a built-in enrollment system for the high schools.

"I know there are concerns out there, but I feel it will work itself out," she said. "For us, we only look at it as an opportunity."

Most school officials say the change will give parents much more information about the Catholic high schools. At the same time, the high schools will be able to showcase their strengths and share their stories.

"Open boundaries provide students and their families greater choice in selecting a school that may more closely match and provide for their individual needs in terms of their academic and personal growth as adolescents," said Blane Collison, principal at Moeller High School in Cincinnati. "I think it’s a positive development for all Catholic schools in providing more choice for families that really desire Catholic education for their children."