Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
Sign In
Skip Navigation LinksADLA Administrative Handbook > Chapter 3 - School Governance > 3.1 - General > 3.1.5 - School Reorganization and Substantive Change


Print this topic

​​School Reorganization and Substantive Change​

Purpose

The purpose of the substantive change process is to establish and enact the authority of the arch/bishop(s) of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in matters of Catholic education as stated in Canon Law:

  • to establish a working relationship with the school that protects the arch/bishop's responsibility and authority;

  • to ensure that the school is conducting itself in a manner that exhibits not only the best and fair practices, but also the beliefs and tradition of the Catholic Church;

  • to provide a process for initial and ongoing recognition and approval for accreditation;

  • to maintain legal and fiscal separation between the archdiocese and the school;

  • and to protect the independent status of the School.

​Goal

The Department of Catholic Schools provides this process to support all archdiocesan, parish, and private/independent (PK-12) schools in the event a substantive change is being considered.  This process respects our mission and the role of the governing authority of each site. Schools are required to use the Substantive Change Proposal for All Archdiocesan, Parish and Private Schools​ to initiate the process.​

Substantive changes could include but are not limited to the following:

  1. Physical Campus Space

    • Consolidation of school campus

    • Merging of school campus

    • Expansion of a school's territory

  2. Change in Educational and/or Administrative/Organizational program (Including but not limited to: )

    • Changing a single sex school to a coeducational facility, or coeducational to single sex,

    • year-round program,

    • major shift in curriculum such as Dual Language Immersion, STEM, Classical Model, Microschool, university model/co-institutional model, online program, etc.

    • president/principal/head of school model,

    • governance model (move parish to diocesan/diocesan to private/etc.) 

    • board and/or religious sponsor

  3. The significant addition or reduction of grade levels or the number of classes in a current school

    1. Pre-School

    2. Transitional Kindergarten

    3. Middle School

    4. High School

  4. Establishment of a new Catholic school

  5. Change in the school's name

  6. Any change impacting the overall Catholic educational mission of the school 


​

6-28-21​, 4-25-2024