From the Desk of Mr. Mike Shukis

STATE OF THE SCHOOL

Dear Marian Parents and Guardians,

Grace and peace to you in Christ.

It is a privilege to share with you Marian Central’s State of the School address. As a College Prep Catholic high school community, it is nice to know that we are united not only by our shared academic purpose, but also by our shared mission to form young men and women in faith, truth, and unity.

This past year has been one of meaningful growth and renewal. Our students have demonstrated resilience, curiosity, and compassion in their studies and in their daily lives. In the classroom, we have continued to strengthen our academic programs, with particular focus on active learning, critical thinking, intradisciplinary learning, and preparing students for college and vocations. We have also added a new committee of faculty and staff that meet on a weekly basis to address students who are struggling with academics on a much more personal level. As this shows, our faculty remain deeply committed to excellence, and we are grateful for their dedication to both the intellectual and spiritual formation of our students.

At the heart of our school is our Catholic identity. We have expanded opportunities for prayer, liturgy, and retreats, ensuring that each student encounters Christ in a personal and transformative way. Campus ministry initiatives, service programs, and theology courses continue to guide our students in living out the Gospel through acts of justice, mercy, and love. All of this is from the direct collaboration between Fr. Warren and school leadership. Let’s all pray that Fr. Warren returns to Marian Central for the next school year.

We are also proud of the vibrancy of student life. Over 55% of our students participate in at least one after school activity and most are involved with at least two after school activities. From athletics (with a new and revamped athletic program) to the arts, from clubs to service organizations, our students are discovering their gifts and learning the value of teamwork, leadership, and perseverance. These experiences are essential in shaping well-rounded individuals grounded in faith and character.

Of course, we also recognize the challenges before us. Like many schools, we face rising operational costs, lower enrollment trends, and the need to continually invest in facilities, technology, and faculty development. We remain committed to responsible stewardship and to keeping a Catholic education accessible to families. It is the vision of Marian Central to continue to make Catholic education accessible for families and expand our capacity to do so. Six years ago, the school allocated $55,000 for tuition assistance. Next year that number will be $300,000, an increase of over 400%. One source of this increase is our generous supporters – we thank you and are deeply appreciative. Another source is the Marian Central Endowment.

The Diocese of Rockford mandates the endowment corpus (principal) remains untouched. A fraction of the interest may be used for expenses, including tuition assistance. Marian Central leadership has two goals looking to the future: 1) Continue to expand the corpus and 2) Increase the interest withdrawal to fund tuition support. These dual goals align our school’s vision with best practice among Catholic schools. Your continued support—through partnership, prayer, and generosity—makes this mission possible.

Looking ahead, we are focused on several key priorities:

Increasing enrollment
Improve communication from school administration
Continue to expand student support services, especially for those students who struggle
Continue to invest in campus improvements and long-term sustainability

None of this work can be accomplished alone. Parents are the primary educators of their children, and your partnership is essential. Together, we form a community rooted in faith, committed to truth, and inspired by hope.

Thank you for entrusting us with the education and formation of your children. Be assured of my prayers for your families, and please keep our school in your prayers as well.

NOTES

The administration team has gone through all the parent surveys. We are currently working on a date to go over the results with any parent or family who may be interested. We are looking for a date sometime in April and we will keep you posted on when and where this meeting will take place as soon as all the details can be worked out.

May God continue to bless our community abundantly.

Sincerely,

Mike Shukis
Head of School
_____________________________________________

STATE OF FINANCIAL

Dear Marian Parents & Guardians,

During a recent meeting Marian Central’s Executive Commission of Advisors made a determination regarding tuition rates for the 2026-27 school year. The following are the current 2025-26 tuition rates being charged at the three Catholic high schools in closest proximity to Marian Central: St. Edward, Elgin – Participating Parishioners $9,000; Carmel, Mundelein - $17,500; St. Viator, Arlington Hts. - $17,915; Marian Central - $9,737.

Members of the Commission are well aware of the continuing economic challenges faced by many of our families. At the same time, the school will incur increasing costs as we strive to provide high quality programs for our students. As a result, the Commission determined to increase each of the tuition rates by 2.5% for the 2026-27 school year. The Participating Parishioner Tuition Rate will be increased by $237 or an extra $24 per month to a total of $9,737. The cost per child for Marian Central, the total cost for Marian to educate each and every student at our school, will be $13,222. It is interesting to look at past tuition increases. Ten years ago, Marian Central’s tuition was set $6,255, which means in ten years our tuition has gone up a total of $3,482 for an average increase of $348 per year. As is the case currently, families paying the Participating Parishioner Rate will continue to receive 25% and 50% discounts for the second and third students.

As a Rockford Diocesan Central High School, each year Marian receives financial support from the seventeen Catholic parishes in McHenry County. The 2026-27 subsidy totals over $4.3 million and is an investment which Catholics throughout the county are making in a Marian Central education for our students. Therefore, in order to qualify to receive the discounted Participating Parishioner Tuition Rate or the discounted Non-Participating Rockford Diocesan Parish Tuition Rate, families are required each year to obtain certification from the parish where they are registered and at which they participate in its stewardship life. The certification process will be the same as that which was used for the current school year and will be sent to families in May or can be downloaded from our website at that time.

We offer various payment options for the 2026-27 school year. The biggest change to our payment options is going from a seven month payment schedule (larger monthly payment) to a 10-month payment schedule (much smaller monthly payment). You are still able to pay your tuition in full and receive a 1% discount or you may also pay each semester or semiannually. Should you have any questions about any of this information, please feel free to contact us.

Here at Marian Central, we pray for all of our families in this season of Lent as we prepare for the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at Easter.

Sincerely,

Mike Shukis

Head of School

Prom 2026

Plans are underway for this year's Prom! The full details can be found by clicking on the Letter to Parents linked below.

Letter to Parents Prom 2026

Prom Ticket Table Group Sign Up Sheet

Date Request Form 2026

Prom 2026
Friday, May 1, 2026
The Starline Factory, Harvard

Prom 2026 Itinerary

4:45 – 5:15 pm - Informal Pictures outside and in the Aux Gym
5:25 pm - Start Promenade
6:30 pm - Arrive at Starline
7:00 pm - Dinner Begins
8:00 pm - Dancing Begins
9:00 pm - Coronation of King and Queen
10:15 pm - Load Buses
10:45 pm - Arrive at Marian Central

Get ready to sing, dance, act—and SHINE!

We’re thrilled to invite your student to an unforgettable Theatre Camp experience this summer! Whether they’re a seasoned performer or stepping on stage for the first time, this is their chance to build confidence, make friends, and be part of something truly magical.

🎬 Who Can Join?
Students entering 7th grade through graduated seniors

Please click below for the exciting details. Spots are limited so don't wait!

Brand New - Summer Theatre Camp! | Smore Newsletters for Education

Junior Parents - One Click Admit

We are excited to share a new opportunity for Illinois residents: the One Click College Admit program. This initiative provides a simple, stress-free way for students to receive admission offers from 10 of Illinois’ 12 public universities, giving them early college options and helping reduce the pressure of the application process. Deadline to apply is May 22.

An email with additional details and links to the One Click College Admit website was sent to junior parents on March 26. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Wochner in the Guidance Office.

College Visits Next Week

All sophomores, juniors, and seniors may attend these visits. Students must receive permission from their teachers to attend each visit and must sign up for all visits in SCOIR.

Tuesday, 4/7: St. Ambrose University-10th Period

Thursday, 4/9: Bradley University-3rd Period, McHenry County College (seniors only)-4th Period, University of Missouri-Columbia-8th Period

Friday, 4/10: Judson University-8th Period

Category 5: Hurricane Preparedness Camp!

We have exciting news this year for incoming freshmen! In the past, new freshmen

who wanted a little extra help could participate in Mrs. Littner’s summer Study Skills

Camp. Well, next year ALL FRESHMEN will learn these skills during the year in the

required Seminar Class! Many of the topics that were covered in Study Skills Camp

will be explored and practiced in this class.

With that said, some parents are still looking to help prepare their incoming freshman for the first couple of weeks of school. For this reason, we are offering the Category 5: Hurricane Preparedness Camp. Please click the document below for additional information.

Service Hours - FINAL CALL

As we approach the end of the school year, we ask that all community service hours completed during this academic year be reported to Mrs. Diamond no later than Monday, April 13, 2026. Please send documentation or verification of service hours directly to Mrs. Diamond at jdiamond@marian.com or drop them off in Guidance so that we can ensure all hours are properly recorded.

If you have any questions about reporting service hours, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mr. Wochner or Mrs. Diamond in the Guidance Office.

April School Day ACT – Required for all Juniors

To give our students the best opportunities for college admissions and scholarships and to provide valuable data to improve instruction at Marian Central, we will be having our juniors take the ACT (paper-and-pencil format) during the school day on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The test will begin at 8:00am and end by approximately 12:15am at which time juniors will eat lunch and return to their regularly scheduled classes for the remainder of the school day. The Enhanced ACT consists of 3 sections: English, Math. And Reading. The students will also be taking the Writing and Science portions of the exam. Scores will be available from 2-8 weeks after testing and will be college reportable for students who wish to submit their scores to any of the colleges and/or universities that they plan to apply to senior year.

Additional information about the ACT, including free test preparation options can be found here. Also, the PreACT results from the October test can be useful to juniors (and free) to prep for the ACT. PreACT score reports indicate student answers to each test question as well as correct answers. Students can look up these questions in their test booklets and see where they went wrong and what types of questions they need to work on to improve scores once they take the ACT.

No registration is necessary for juniors for the April 21, 2026 school day ACT test.

Please contact Mrs. Hilton (khilton@marian.com or 815-338-4220, ext. 121) or Mr. Fearn (afearn@marian.com, ext. 122) if you have any questions regarding the ACT.