JEFFERSON PARK — The former superintendent of Cincinnati's Catholic schools will take over the Archdiocese of Chicago's Office of Catholic Schools, officials announced Thursday.
Jim Rigg, who led Cincinnati's Catholic schools for five years, will start Oct. 5, replacing Mary Kearney, who served as the interim superintendent after Sister Mary Paul McCaughey stepped down in December.
Archbishop Blase Cupich praised Rigg's "proven experience of managing a diverse school system and a deep commitment to Catholic education."
"He has demonstrated the ability to collaborate effectively in a professional way and we are confident he will build on the exceptional foundation and history of our system to help shape its future,” Cupich said.
Rigg will take the helm of the 230-school system that serves 83,000 students at a time when the archdiocese is focused on "building a sustainable system that ensures a transformative Catholic education in this region of Chicago" in an era of declining enrollment and rising costs, according to the archdiocese.
As the head of the nation's largest Catholic school system, Rigg will oversee the merger of four Northwest Side Catholic schools — St. Cornelius, Our Lady of Victory, St. Pascal and St. Tarcissus — into one school — with two campuses — over the next year The new school is scheduled to open in the fall of 2016-17.
The new school, known temporarily as Northwest Catholic Academy, will have a curriculum that focuses on global studies in an effort to help students "develop critical, analytical and creative 21st Century thinkers and problem solvers in a faith-filled environment," officials announced this week.
The curriculum will include a rigorous math and science program, language instruction and a humanities concentration, officials said.
The effort to create one school to serve the Far Northwest Side of the city is expected to serve as a model to be used in other parts of the city where schools are not self-sufficient, officials said.
In addition, Rigg will be forced to grapple with the future of several schools in Bronzeville, where archdiocesan officials abruptly closed St. Elizabeth School last week after the discovery of lead paint and sent its students to Holy Angels School.
An effort to consolidate St. Elizabeth, Holy Angels and nearby St. Ambrose schools into one regional academy — similar to the Northwest Catholic Academy — is expected to begin in October, officials said.
While superintendent of Cincinnati's Catholic schools, Rigg presided over the closure of seven schools during his tenure in Cincinnati.
In addition, Rigg helped develop a five-year strategic plan for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati as part of its $130 million capital campaign, of which half is devoted to education, including tuition assistance and support for quality teachers and administrators.
Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr said Chicago Catholic officials had picked the best Catholic school superintendent in the nation, calling Rigg "an exceptional educational leader."
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