Assistant Superintendent Melissa Santos aims for growth

By Laura Iunghuhn for The Catholic Moment

In the 2022-2023 school year, 5,920 Catholic schools enrolled over 1.6 million students in the
United States. Though these numbers may seem small, they show a steady two-year growth and
the lowest number of Catholic school closures in the last decade. With so many institutions to
choose from, why do parents consistently choose Catholic education for their children?

For many, the answer is simple: Catholic education prepares students to be soldiers of the faith,
ready to evangelize the world. The values instilled as part of a student’s daily lessons carry
through life so they can have a positive impact in all areas of their lives.

Additionally, many parents choose Catholic institutions because smaller class sizes mean
students receive more individual attention, instruction often prioritizes critical thinking, and they
frequently support a variety of extracurricular opportunities. Yet, as with all schools, there is
always room for growth.

Melissa Santos, newly hired as the Assistant Superintendent of Catholic Schools, is a strong
advocate of American Catholic schools. “My husband and I went to Catholic school and Catholic
college. My kids have all gone to Catholic schools,” she shared. “It’s part of who I am.”

However, her background as a teacher and principal of Catholic schools has given her an inside
look at the ways these institutions can be strengthened. Combining her love for Catholic schools
and an attitude of growth, Santos hopes to be a resource for school staff, ensuring that each
student receives an education that cultivates the whole child, body, mind, and spirit.

Santos grew up in Illinois close to the Indiana border. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in
Elementary Education with a Specialization in Learning Disabilities from the University of
Dayton and earned her Master’s in Educational Leadership at Concordia University.

For many years, she raised her family – three sons and a daughter – in Northwest Indiana, until
they began traveling as part of her husband Andrew’s job. As a result, Santos’s 30-plus years of
teaching and administrative experience have been in schools in Illinois, Michigan, and most
recently Omaha, Nebraska.

Last fall, Santos returned to Indiana to celebrate her daughter’s wedding in Carmel. A
spontaneous visit to Guerin Catholic High School with her 14-year-old son Drew set the
direction for the next stage of their lives. “Drew fell in love with Guerin,” Santos shared. “He
told us he wanted to go and live near his sister and asked us if we could start putting that into
motion, so we did.”

Knowing that a Catholic education comes with extra costs, Santo’s husband encouraged her to
return to work full-time rather than remain a substitute teacher. Exploring options, he browsed
diocesan job openings and shared his discovery of the assistant superintendent position with his
wife. “I applied and by the grace of God, they interviewed me, and I got the position,” Santos
said, still a little in disbelief.
Now Santos drives between Carmel and Omaha every couple of weeks to visit her husband and
son until they make the move to Indiana at the end of May once Drew has finished the eighth
grade. “That has been the biggest struggle in my job situation. I live by myself. It’s quiet and I’m
not used to that,” Santos admitted. “But it’s just a few more months. We’ll get there.”

Though the drive to Omaha is long, Santos hopes to spend more time on the road as assistant
superintendent. “To be out in the schools is certainly a goal and priority for me,” she said.
Already, she and Trudy Schouten Young, the superintendent, spent the weeks leading up to
Christmas break visiting all the schools in the diocese.

Knowing the schools well – their demographics, available resources, strengths, and weaknesses –
will be essential as Santos moves forward with the Office of Catholic Schools’ plans for growth.
“Special education, curriculum, and the school choice program are going to be the hot topics
under my purview right now,” Santos shared.

Historically, providing comprehensive special education resources to students with disabilities

has not been a strength of the Catholic school system. “There are kids out there who have been
unable to have a Catholic education because of a disability,” Santos explained. To fill this need,
Santos will focus on learning what resources are already in place, what services principals would
like to add, and if there are ways to share special education staff between schools. While hiring
new staff will fall to school principals, Santos will fill in the gaps by organizing training and
professional development opportunities.

Santos’s experience in education curriculum also means that she will learn and help implement
changes in state standards. In the summer, she will undergo training to ensure the schools are
adhering to the standards that were updated in 2023. Santos is also developing plans to train
teachers in universal screening, a testing method that will give teachers information about
students’ reading skills to help them pass the state-required IREAD test.

Additionally, the Office of Catholic Schools plans to update the schools’ religious education
programs. “We’d like to centralize so that all of the schools are teaching the same religion
curriculum,” Santos explained.

The office aims to strengthen special education services and the curriculum by 2025 when the
school choice program is scheduled to be universal. Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program
(often called the voucher program) works to provide eligible students with scholarships that
offset tuition costs and provide all children with access to a quality education. “We’re hoping
that the program will increase our enrollment,” Santos said, “and we want to make sure we can
put the right people in place to give services to all the students who come our way.”

Though Santos’s background has prepared her for these upcoming changes, she is still learning a
new environment. Santos must learn the Indiana state rules for education, which are new to her.
She must also learn to navigate a school system that is spread over a large geographic area.
“When there’s a three-hour drive between schools, it’s hard to get everybody together,” Santos
explained. "Our principals probably come together in the same room only about three times a
year. Pulling everybody together is difficult, so that will be a learning curve for me.”

Despite these challenges, Santos is excited about her new role. “I love working with teachers and
the professional development part of it. I love it when people get excited about new initiatives,”
she shared. During Catholic Schools Week, Santos had the opportunity to attend school events
and participate in Masses. “It’s a great way to see the innovative ideas and what people do to
celebrate our Catholic faith,” she said. She also values the chance to show how much she and her
team appreciate the work and dedication of teachers and staff.

Ultimately Santos wants to be a source of support for her coworkers and school staff. “I try to
keep asking ‘How can I help?’ she shared. “I want them to feel free to reach out to me, email,
call, ask for any help they might need, and if I can’t provide it, I’ll find someone who can.”
Knowing there’s always something to learn about faith, education, or the people in her
community, Santos hopes she can help guide the diocesan schools through a period of positive
change and seek growth alongside her team.