SLS 21RS-1826 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 78
BY SENATOR HARRIS
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Dr. Kenneth St. Charles for his leadership and
contributions as president and CEO of St. Augustine High School.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend and congratulate Dr. Kenneth St. Charles on his leadership and contributions
3 as president and CEO of St. Augustine High School.
4 WHEREAS, since 2016, Dr. Kenneth St. Charles has served St. Augustine High
5 School in New Orleans, Louisiana, as president and CEO, responsible for ensuring that the
6 school fulfills its mission of providing a quality, well-rounded education to nearly six
7 hundred young men in the traditions of the Catholic Church; and
8 WHEREAS, in this role, he supervises sixty-six faculty and staff members and
9 manages an eight million dollar budget; and
10 WHEREAS, under his leadership the school has made important strides in the areas
11 of development and fundraising, academics, board and alumni relations, student enrollment,
12 financial management, public relations, and in teacher and staff recruitment and retention;
13 and
14 WHEREAS, the school has raised a remarkable eleven million dollars, created fifteen
15 new permanently endowed funds and seventy-two annual donor named funds; experienced
16 a five percent enrollment increase for two consecutive years and is on track for a third
17 student enrollment increase; increased the total contributions made on the popular one-day
18 online giving event "Give Purple Day" from $38,000 in 2016 to $500,000 in 2020, and most
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SLS 21RS-1826 ORIGINAL
1 importantly, continued to ensure that one hundred percent of all graduating seniors were
2 eligible and received acceptance offers to the nation's colleges and universities, or to the
3 military or service academies; and
4 WHEREAS, addressing affordability has been a priority for St. Charles and during
5 his tenure the amount of scholarship support and financial aid awarded to students has
6 doubled, and in 2021, one hundred percent of the student body received tuition assistance
7 totaling nearly $1.6 million; and
8 WHEREAS, new academic initiatives include the very popular Chinese Mandarin
9 language program and the Gifted Academy, a community outreach initiative that serves
10 middle-school age boys; and
11 WHEREAS, the school is also embarking on several new major construction and
12 renovation projects that will soon lead to the total redesign and renovation of all existing
13 science labs, classrooms, athletic facilities, and the creation of innovative academic STEM
14 curriculum initiatives; and
15 WHEREAS, the school's music program has experienced tremendous growth and
16 improvements in recent years, most notably a one hundred percent renovation of all music
17 and performance facilities, the funding of student band performance scholarships, a
18 fundraising effort that led to the purchase of on hundred new Marching band uniforms, and
19 a four-year effort that resulted in the complete replacement of all percussion and large brass
20 instruments, with the music program recently receiving national exposure on the acclaimed
21 60 Minutes news program; and
22 WHEREAS, the school continues to flourish athletically and in its many
23 extracurricular endeavors as evidenced by its 2021 State Championship basketball team, its
24 numerous outstanding initiatives in major team sports, and recent championship
25 performances in track and field and tennis; and
26 WHEREAS, the school also boasts an award-winning Film and Media program, as
27 well as Speech and Debate, STEM and Future Business Leaders of America clubs, and a
28 very active and popular Campus Ministry program that pre-COVID led an international trip
29 through the United States and Canada that retraced the historic journey for freedom of the
30 Underground Railroad; and
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SLS 21RS-1826 ORIGINAL
1 WHEREAS, Dr. St. Charles is married to Lori Robinson St. Charles and has two
2 daughters, Taylor and Kennedy St. Charles; and
3 WHEREAS, at the end of the current school term, Kenneth St. Charles will leave St.
4 Augustine High School to accept a newly created position of vice president for philanthropy
5 with the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the region's leading philanthropic organization.
6 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
7 does hereby commend and congratulate Dr. Kenneth St. Charles for his outstanding service
8 to St. Augustine High School as president and CEO and does wish him well in his new
9 position as vice president for philanthropy with the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that at a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
11 Dr. Kenneth St. Charles.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 78 Original 2021 Regular Session Harris
Commends Dr. Kenneth St. Charles for his outstanding service to St. Augustine High School
as president and CEO and wishes him well in his new position as vice president for
philanthropy with the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
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