It’s official! Transition to St. Katharine Drexel Preparatory now complete

By Kelly Parker
Contributing Writer

The transition of the new era of St. Katharine Drexel Preparatory School is now official. On July 10th, the school announced the completion of the act of sale of the Xavier University Prepa­ratory campus. The school will assume the new name (St. Katharine Drexel Preparatory School) and will offer a Catholic education supported by the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Office of Catholic Schools.

The six members of the Xavier Prep Alumni who formed the 5116 Magazine Street Preparatory High School Corporation now own the uptown campus, and “the corporation now holds a mortgage on the properties.” says Monique Spears, SKDP Marketing and Public Relations Transition Team Co-Chair.

The group, along with the administration will now move forward to continue the nearly century-old Xavier Prep legacy; by working to increase enrollment, enhancing the school curriculum and promoting the school within the New Orleans metro area.

“For St. Katharine Drexel Preparatory School to be successful, we require the support through time and talent of Xavier Prep­aratory School Alumni, as well as the continued support of the greater New Orleans community,” SKDP Marketing and Public Relations Transition Team Chair Latricia Baham said.

“Our short-term goals include but are not limited to increasing enrollment; enhancing school curriculum and promoting the school within the New Orleans metropolitan area. Additional goals include facility upgrades that we hope to achieve through development and fundraising efforts that will be carried out by our Drexel Dream­ers, which consist of representatives from several active groups; 5116 Corp­oration, SKDP Admini­strators, Dad and Mom’s Clubs, Drexel Prep Foundation and the Xavier Prep Alumni Association.”

Many SKDP students have been involved in rigorous summer programs to prepare for the upcoming school year such as Dillard Univ­ersity’s Youth Leade­r­ship Pro­gram, LSU Summer Science Pro­gram, Xavier Univer­sity’s LEAP Engineering Summer Program and Xavier University’s Chem­Star.

“We also have seniors currently enrolled in Xavier University’s summer session and have begun to earn college credit.” Monique Spears added.

“With a current enrollment of approximately 200 students, our goal and hope is that all students that were with us in the 2012-13 school year will continue for the 2013-14 school year,” Letricia Baham told The Louisiana Weekly. “Through active recruiting, we are seeking to increase the school’s enrollment. We look forward to more students being a part of the St. Katharine Drexel Preparatory School Family where our students are ‘Prepped for Life’ as we ‘Continue the Drexel Dream.’”

Newly accepted students in grades 7 through 10 have taken part in a Summer Enrichment Program which began on July 15th; focusing on academic preparation and enhancement and familiarize students with the school’s mission and philosophy.

St. Katharine Drexel Prep­ara­tory School will continue to accept applications through the start of the school year. Parents should contact Principal Cheryl­lyn Branch or the admissions office at (504) 899-6061, or visit the school for an application packet that includes the list of necessary documents such as final report card, transcripts, test scores, etc.

Student orientation will take place August 7–8 and the first full day of school is August 9.

This article originally published in the July 22, 2013 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.