"Let us remember the past with gratitude, the present with enthusiasm, and look forward to the future with confidence."

~Saint Pope John Paul II

As parents, students, staff, and alumni, we are deeply committed to a positive future for our High School community, John Paull II High School in Plano. As we approach our 20th Anniversary, we all desire to look forward to our Cardinal Family's future with confidence that will allow our school to thrive throughout the next two decades and beyond.

As one community, we are united in hope for a vibrant, safe, and stable future. Unified, we respectfully and humbly call on The Most Reverend Edward J. Burns, who not only leads our Diocese but is also a member of the Board of Directors at JPII; Dr. Verónica Alonzo, Interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Dallas; Dr. Rebecca Hammel, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Dallas and The Catholic Diocese of Dallas to review and respond diligently to the following concerns of the community:

Regarding the Presidential Vacancy at JPII & Forthcoming Faculty and Staff Resignations

On March 22, 2023, it was announced to the JPII community that our President, Chad Evans, had decided not to renew his contract for the 2023-2024 year. This leaves a significant hole in the leadership of our school and has an incredible impact on the stability of the school. 

In the last three years, JPII has had alarming turnover: two Presidents, two Principals, two Advancement Directors, two Admissions Directors, three Finance Directors, and three Football Coaches. These constant shifts of key leadership roles within the school are very unsettling. There is a lack of transparency with the current Board of Directors and little confidence in the current leadership team and School administration's ability to stabilize the situation, negatively affecting the Cardinal Community's morale amongst families, students, prospective students, alumni, and staff. This low morale is becoming extremely evident as at least eight highly respected teachers, department heads, and Deans have tendered their resignations in the last couple of weeks. It is imperative that something is done immediately by the Diocese to stop this exodus and retain the excellent department leaders, teachers, and wonderful staff and administrators within the school that are considering departing. 

This group strongly believes that another expensive National Search for a President is not in the best interest of the JPII Community. Our previous Presidents have all been local to the area. Historically our school Presidents have had very diverse skill sets and have all been from the Dallas area. Thomas W. Poore, who served JPII as President for 12 years, came to us as an educator in the Dallas area for over 30 years. Deacon Jake, who served the school for almost four years, was a former executive in Marketing. Both are humble servants and passionate about the success of the school. Both are dynamic, personable, and energetic. Both are leaders. They established and grew relationships that allowed the school to thrive. They left a beautiful legacy for the Cardinal Family, and this community desires and deserves this same leadership model in our next President. It serves the school very well to incorporate someone into the Presidential role who has deeply rooted relationships in the community and a passion for the school that will allow for its continued growth. We ask that an internal search be exhausted for this Presidential role before going outside the Cardinal Family. 

Additionally, this group asks that a distinguished and respected member of the faculty or administration be appointed interim President to promote stability and calm through effective leadership. Someone with tenure that embodies the Seek to Serve Mission of the school. Selecting leaders already within the school or connected deeply to the school whom the community and faculty trust is imperative to establishing peace and confidence in the weeks and months ahead. 

Finally, the JPII community proposes the following to ensure our voice is represented in the search for a long-term President:

1.   The community asks that the individuals on this search committee are made public to the community by clearly listing such committee members on the JPII website. There must be complete transparency regarding who is serving on this committee. 

2.   The community insists that the committee be expanded to include current student parents, alumni, and, very importantly, representatives from our current JPII teachers and staff. These individuals should make up at least 50% of the committee, be voted on by the community, and be presented to the Bishop for final approval.

3.   A meeting should be held expeditiously with all members of the JPII community invited; current families, alumni, alumni parents, staff, and anyone else with a vested interest in the school so that all of those not on the committee who desire their voices to be heard have an equitable opportunity to express their aspirations for our next President. This is a critical role for the future of our school, and this group wants to ensure that this individual will not only fit professionally but be passionate about carrying the school forward for many years to come. 

Regarding the Board of Directors at JPII

"There is no true peace without fairness, truth, justice, and solidarity."

~Saint Pope John Paul II

This community acknowledges the work of the Board of Directors and extends its gratitude for such service over the previous two decades. Everyone who has taken the time to serve our school in this capacity is owed a debt of gratitude. Unfortunately, recent attempts to discuss this petition's matters with the Board of Directors have been disregarded. 

As we approach the 20th Anniversary of JPII and look to the next two decades of work, we, as a community, look to the well-established Catholic school models in our Diocese and our region. All of this is to ensure the continued success of our Cardinal community as we undoubtedly face growth and change. In this light, we propose the following regarding representation on the Board of Directors, who are intimately involved in the critical decisions that affect the school's future.

The Board of Directors comprises thirteen seats, with three graciously occupied by the Diocese of Dallas clergy members. Currently, none of these positions on the JPII board are occupied by alumni or current student families. This seems to be an anomaly compared to other board models, such as the boards at Bishop Lynch, Bishop Dunne, Jesuit, and Ursuline. The Boards of Directors at the aforementioned schools are much larger in size, ranging between 20-22 seats, and each one is comprised of clergy from the Diocese of Dallas, prominent members of the Diocese of Dallas, current families, alumni, alumni families, the PTSO President, current staff and teachers. This structure and size afford a diverse and equitable board representing the school's constituents. 

The JPII community proposes the following to ensure our voice is represented in the critical decisions affecting our school's future:

1.   The JPII community requests that (7) additional seats be added to the current Board at JPII High School in Plano before the appointment of a permanent President and the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year. 

2.   We request representation from the community to include the President of the PTSO, a former faculty member such as Thomas W. Poore or Deacon Jake, a current family, a current faculty member, and a recent Alumni of JPII. 

3.   We ask that these requested additional board positions are voted on by the school and presented to the Bishop for final approval and designation. We want to be clear that the effort here is aligned with ensuring that community members can be involved in the critical decisions that affect the school's future. 

4.   We propose that Board member terms are held to two years, with a second term permitted, with staggering expiration dates, and the option to appoint or designate up to three members who may be found invaluable as Emeritus members of the Board to serve indefinitely. 

We urgently request a meeting be held with all members of the JPII community invited; current families, alumni, alumni parents, staff, and anyone else with a vested interest in the school so that all of those not on the committee who desire their voices to be heard have an equal opportunity to express their interest in board positions for the equitable election of these members.

Regarding the Safety and Security of our JPII Cardinal Family

"The future starts today, not tomorrow."

~Saint Pope John Paul II

Lastly, and probably most importantly, our JPII youth are not immune to the horrors of the World. They see these horrors every time they log on to their laptops to begin class; they hear these horrors every time they hop on social media; most importantly, they live them whether they like it or not. Our youth look to the trusted adults in their lives to do all they can to protect them from these horrors. We must never, ever silence the voice of the youth. Indeed, as Catholics, we have now learned the importance and value of their voices. 

The youth in our Country are in crisis. They are spiraling, and we should not pretend our community is immune from this pandemic. COVID-19 is gone, perhaps for the time being, but it left a lasting mark on our youth. There are some very blaring pertinent things to consider that are affecting our youth daily. The CDC reported last month that suicide rates amongst young girls in our Country have increased by 60% in the last decade. 1 in 3 (you read that correctly) 1 in 3 girls between the ages of 13-17 will either seriously consider suicide or attempt it. In addition, violence in schools is at an all-time high. Texas is #2 in the Nation (you read that correctly also), right behind California for the most school shootings and overall gun violence in schools. As a country, we have become desensitized to gun violence and school shootings. The response pattern in the aftermath—earnest, angry, defensive, accusatory, the exact quotes and the same responses we've all repeated for decades. It was another mass shooting in America, another senseless murder, another numbing statistic, another vortex of pain, death, and rage. It was all too familiar. No one ever thinks it will happen to their community until it does. Lastly is the drug crisis in our Country, which has been leading the headlines in recent days and weeks. Our youth are dying at unfathomable rates due to fentanyl overdoses. Most of these are unintentional in nature. Our youth must be our first priority, starting with our Cardinal Family at home. 

As we review how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled, led by our Most Reverend Bishop Burns, the Superintendent's office, the Diocese of Dallas, and the JPII High School administration, we garner a good model for moving forward in many of these situations. Pandemic Protocols were implemented swiftly and without hesitation to protect the children and all the families, faculty, and staff in the Catholic Diocese care. The communication regarding protocols during COVID-19 was clear, concise, and transparent. The community never had to ask for it; it was simply forthcoming. The school community was notified of every single incident. These communications reported the recipient of all incidents of COVID-19 within the JPII community, individual risk, and family risk, if applicable, and confirmed protocol moving forward. This clear, concise, and transparent communication is imperative in keeping our community safe and our children confident in their everyday lives at school.

As parents, who send our children to JPII every day, those families who have gone before us, and all those who will come after, we owe them the confidence to know they are safe at school. Upon recent research into our JPII School protocols, it was discovered that the information appears unavailable to the school community. Within the resource guide for parents on our internal website Cardinal Connect, all website links in the protocol section are inactive. This allows for inconsistency in responses from the school. Many other schools in the Diocese, within a couple of days of the most recent shootings in the Dallas area and Nashville, released statements to address the quick reviews they had done regarding the current safety protocols in the school, areas of improvement for safety and then actions they are taking to ensure the ongoing safety of the schools under their leadership. Very little communication regarding these efforts has been made to the JPII community. This is unacceptable, especially in light of the most recent ongoing police investigation within the community. Let us not remain shrouded in mystery. 

In this light, the JPII community asks for the following considerations regarding the ongoing safety of our children:

1.   Immediate review of current safety protocols and transparency regarding handling situations involving safety threats in the school or involving members of our school community, violence in the school, and drug-related incidents in the school. 

2.   This group insists that once the current protocols are reviewed and rewritten based on the current climate of our State and Country, to cover the items listed above; situations involving safety threats taking place in the school or involving members of our school community school, violence in the school, and drug-related incidents in the school. This group recognizes there are privacy issues regarding these types of incidents, which we respect, but as with COVID protocol, there should be transparent protocols regarding the above issues.

3.   These protocols should be made public to the school community within the Cardinal Connect resource we depend on. All links within the protocol sections should be working links linking to accurate information where links are to be used.

4.   This group believes having a resource officer is a non-negotiable during this time, and are appreciative of the school's diligent effort in getting this individual in place. 

5.   This community requests annual accountability reports submitted to the school by the Board of Directors Annually that detail many things to be determined, including all incidents regarding threats to students, Gun-control and active shooters, drugs and vaping, and suicide and stress. 

Lastly, a meeting should be held urgently with all members of the JPII community invited; current families, alumni, alumni parents, staff, and anyone else with a vested interest in the safety of our school and the security of our youth who desire their voices to be heard have an equal opportunity to express their concerns and thoughts for moving forward.

Once again, as one community, we are united in hope for a vibrant, safe, and stable future. Unified, we respectfully and humbly call on The Most Reverend Edward J. Burns, who not only leads our Diocese but is also a member of the Board of Directors at JPII; Dr. Verónica Alonzo, Interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Dallas; Dr. Rebecca Hammel, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Dallas and The Catholic Diocese of Dallas to review and respond diligently and publicly to the concerns of the John Paul II Catholic Community.  

JPII Cardinal Family for Positive Change

Questions can be directed to: jpiicardinalfamily@gmail.com