Diocese of Toledo Announces Two Toledo Elementary Schools To Team with Partnership Schools
The Diocese of Toledo is announcing that Rosary Cathedral and Queen of Apostles elementary schools are forming a new network: Partnership Schools of Toledo, an affiliate of Partnership Schools, a national non-profit Catholic school management organization.
Bishop Daniel E. Thomas explained, “This is a very exciting change for Rosary Cathedral and Queen of Apostles schools. More parents are looking for schools where their children can shine academically while growing in virtue in a values and faith-based environment. The Partnership’s innovative approach to managing urban Catholic elementary schools is a strategic step to secure that promising future for generations to come.”
“We are honored to be called upon by Bishop Thomas to serve,” says Partnership Executive Director Kristen Gengaro. “The deep commitment of the Diocese of Toledo teachers and supporters of Queen of Apostles and Rosary Cathedral schools, combined with the know-how and zeal of the Partnership team, can help even more children flourish.” The Partnership brings a regional and national team that leverage educational expertise, best practices for operations and outreach, and fundraising support to help make urban Catholic schools financially sustainable and amplify their impact. The Partnership Schools movement began 13 years ago in New York, when an independent foundation supporting Catholic elementary schools in low-income neighborhoods became a school management organization to better manage academics and operations of the schools it funded.
The Partnership Schools have raised academic outcomes and stabilized enrollment at a time when it was declining in other area Catholic schools. That track record of success led to Cleveland Catholic schools forming a Partnership network. Just this winter, the network’s efforts led Partnership Schools to be named a winner of the Yass Prize Alumni Award. Philadelphia philanthropists Jeff and Janine Yass provided a total of $20 million to 16 organizations this year, including Partnership Schools, as part of their efforts to spread innovative approaches to education.
“For school choice to be a reality,” Gengaro remarks, “families need more than scholarships; they need excellent, loving school options right in their neighborhoods. We’re determined to give families of diverse backgrounds access to trajectory-altering education in schools that already anchor their neighborhoods.”
Partnership Schools’ mission is particularly focused on serving students in low-income communities; 99 percent of their students in Cleveland come from families whose incomes qualified for Federal Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARM), similar to Rosary Cathedral and Queen of Apostles, where 95 percent of families are FARM-eligible. They also welcome families who seek a Catholic education even when they may not be Catholic; 87 percent of their Cleveland students are not Catholic, similar to nearly sixty percent of families in the Toledo schools the Partnership will now manage.
Gabriel Jakubisin, who has served as Head of School for the two Toledo schools for the last three years, says “I am tremendously excited for the outcomes that this partnership will produce for our students. Partnership Schools’ proven track record bodes well for the ongoing academic learning and spiritual formation of our students.”
Posted April 30, 2026 at 7:13 pm