Kolbe-Trinity eyes Napa campus expansion as public school enrollment declines – The Press Democrat

Report on the Expansion of Kolbe Academy and Trinity Prep and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

This report details the planned expansion of Kolbe Academy and Trinity Prep in Napa, California. The project is analyzed in the context of local educational trends and its contribution to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Project Overview and Contribution to SDG 4: Quality Education

Kolbe Academy and Trinity Prep, a private Catholic school, is undertaking a significant expansion to enhance its educational capacity and learning environment, directly supporting the objectives of SDG 4.

Enrollment and Infrastructure Growth

• Pre-Pandemic Enrollment: Approximately 90 students.
• Current Enrollment: At capacity with 140 students, a surge attributed to its provision of in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Proposed Enrollment: A permit application has been submitted to increase capacity to 192 students.
• Infrastructure Development: Plans include a new modular building to house two classrooms for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students.

Alignment with SDG 4 Targets

1. Target 4.1 (Free, Equitable and Quality Primary and Secondary Education): The expansion increases access to educational opportunities within the community. The creation of dedicated, quieter facilities for younger students is designed to improve the quality of the learning environment.
2. Target 4.a (Build and Upgrade Education Facilities): The construction of a new modular classroom building is a direct investment in child-friendly, safe, and effective learning environments.
3. Addressing Learning Gaps: The new classrooms will also support a program designed to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss in reading and math, a critical step in ensuring equitable educational outcomes.

Urban Development and Community Impact (SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities)

The school’s growth occurs amidst a notable decline in public school enrollment in Napa County, making this project a key development in the local community’s educational landscape and planning processes.

Local Context and Planning

• Contrasting Trends: While Napa County public schools have seen enrollment drop by nearly 5% (approx. 1,000 students) since the 2020-21 school year, Kolbe-Trinity has experienced significant growth.
• Regulatory Process: The expansion is subject to a use permit application with the Napa Planning Commission, demonstrating engagement with municipal planning frameworks essential for sustainable community development (Target 11.3).
• Compliance Issues: A delay was caused by the discovery of three unpermitted structures on campus. The school is working with city planners to resolve these minor issues, with the project expected to proceed in January.

Financial Model and Socio-Economic Considerations (SDG 8 & SDG 10)

The financial structure of the expansion and the school’s operational model have implications for local economic growth and efforts to reduce inequality.

Economic and Financial Details

• Funding: The school relies on a combination of tuition revenue and donor contributions to cover operational costs.
• Tuition Structure (2024-25):
  • K-8 Students: $8,280 annually
  • High School Students: $14,260 annually
• Economic Contribution (SDG 8): The expansion project supports local economic growth through construction activities and the potential for increased employment of educational staff.
• Addressing Inequality (SDG 10): The school offers limited need-based financial aid and sibling discounts, representing a mechanism to promote inclusive access to its educational services (Target 10.2).

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The entire article focuses on education, specifically the expansion of a private school (Kolbe Academy and Trinity Prep), its enrollment growth, the addition of new classrooms, and its programs aimed at addressing learning loss. This directly relates to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The school’s expansion involves a formal application process with the Napa Planning Commission for a “use permit” and dealing with unpermitted structures. This connects to urban planning, infrastructure development, and regulatory processes within a community.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article mentions that the school relies on fundraising and donors to cover costs not met by tuition. This highlights the role of partnerships between private entities (the school) and civil society (donors) to achieve educational goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

     The article discusses a TK-12 school providing primary and secondary education. The mention of a program to help students “recover from pandemic-related learning loss in reading and math” directly addresses the goal of achieving effective learning outcomes and improving the quality of education.

   • Target 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.

     The school’s plan to add a new building with “two classrooms for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students” directly supports the provision of pre-primary education. The article also notes that public school enrollment was “buoyed by the expansion of the transitional kindergarten program,” reinforcing the importance of this target.

   • Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.

     The core of the school’s plan is to “add a new modular classroom building” and move its youngest students to a “larger space in a quieter part of campus,” which is described as more ideal for learning. This action is a direct effort to build and upgrade education facilities to create a more effective learning environment.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.3: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.

     The school’s interaction with the city government, including applying for a “use permit to expand its enrollment” and working with the “Napa Planning Commission,” exemplifies the process of integrated settlement planning. The delay caused by the discovery of “three campus structures that lacked building permits” underscores the importance of proper planning and management in community development.

3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

     The article states that “tuition doesn’t fully cover its costs” and the school is “always looking to raise additional funds.” The mention that “Our donors have been amazing so far” highlights a reliance on civil society partnerships (donors) to finance and sustain the school’s educational mission and expansion.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Enrollment numbers:

     The article provides specific figures on student enrollment, showing growth from “about 90 students” pre-pandemic to its current capacity of “140 students,” with a proposed expansion to “192 students.” These numbers can serve as a direct indicator of access to education provided by the institution.

   • Student learning outcomes:

     The existence of a “program helping students recover from pandemic-related learning loss in reading and math” implies a focus on measuring and improving student proficiency, which aligns with Indicator 4.1.1 (proportion of children achieving minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics).

   • Number of new classrooms:

     The plan to “add a new modular classroom building” with “two classrooms” is a quantifiable measure of progress towards Target 4.a, which focuses on upgrading educational facilities.

2. For SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Permit application and approval status:

     The status of the school’s “use permit” application with the “Napa Planning Commission” and the process of rectifying unpermitted structures are direct indicators of the functioning of local planning and management systems.

3. For SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Funds raised from non-tuition sources:

     The statement that the school is “always looking to raise additional funds” and that “donors have been amazing” implies that the amount of money raised through fundraising is a key indicator of the success of its civil society partnerships.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: pressdemocrat.com