Saint Francis Xavier Elementary and Beckman High School in Dyersville officially join together
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A new era of Catholic education has begun! On July 1st, St. Francis Xavier Elementary School and Beckman Catholic High School officially joined to create Beckman Catholic Schools. Both schools will retain their names but will now operate as one school system.
“The high school and elementary school are sponsored by the same five parishes but have previously operated as separate entities” said Marcel Kielkucki, Beckman Catholic High School principal. “In 2019, both schools agreed to work collaboratively for a strategic planning initiative, where we created a shared mission, vision, and strategic plan. As we renewed that plan in 2024 a focal area was to explore the idea of merging the schools together through formal consolidation.”
Parish councils from each of the five sponsoring parishes (St. Francis Xavier, Dyersville, St. Joseph, Earlville, St. Boniface, New Vienna, Sts. Peter and Paul, Petersburg, and St. Paul, Worthington) approved the creation of a study committee, representing each parish which met from May to October of 2025. The committee provided recommendations and a framework for the consolidation of both schools back to the parish councils for their approval. Parish councils gave their approval in December of 2025 with an effective date of July 1st, 2026.
“Our communities have a rich tradition of Catholic education and provide us with tremendous support,” said Peter Smith, St. Francis Xavier Elementary principal. “We want Catholic education to continue to be an option for our families for years to come. Becoming a system will strengthen our schools, positioning us for long-term success where we continue to strive for spiritual, academic, and personal excellence.”
To learn more about Beckman Catholic schools, visit the new website at https://www.bcatholic.org