From academic and athletic success, to welcoming new members of the teaching staff, to the complete renovation of the high school gym, progress made in 2025 was helped in large part by the support provided through donations.

“We were incredibly blessed by the generosity shown to St. Edmond Catholic School this past year through our annual campaign, gym floor campaign and the Friends of St. Edmond Ball,” said Susan Laufersweiler, director of development at St. Edmond. “Our annual campaign continues to be a vital source of both unrestricted and restricted funding, supporting athletics, music, scholarships, campus ministry, technology and more.

“We are deeply grateful to those who give each year to help sustain and advance our mission.”

The Friends of St. Edmond Ball hit a record-breaking total of $355,000, providing support for the operating budget. Approximately $40,000 of that was also designed for a special courtyard enhancement project.

-Messenger file photo by Britt Kudla
Jenn Crimmins, of Fort Dodge, walks with her daughters Josephine Crimmins, left, and Zoe Crimmins on the first day of school Aug. 25, 2025, at St. Edmond Catholic School.

“This student-led initiative includes the addition of a statue of St. John Bosco, a water feature currently being constructed by our conservation and engineering classes and expanded landscaping researched and planted annually by our students,” Laufersweiler said. “The selection of the saint statue itself was a meaningful research project, allowing students to study various saints before voting on the one they wished to honor in this space.”

A completely renovated high school gym greeted returning staff and students, as a new gym floor was installed along with new banners, an upgraded sound system and fresh paint.

“The gym floor campaign was another major accomplishment made possible by many generous donors working together,” Laufersweiler said. “Through this effort, we were able to replace the gym floor and update the hoops, press box, banners and walls. The renewed space has already hosted many exciting moments and successes for our sports teams.

“Additionally, we completed a long-planned bathroom remodel on the high school side, an important investment aimed at better serving our students, and phase three in our window replacement project. We were able to replace all 10 rotten windows on the east side of the building.”

As for the next 12 months, those plans include building maintenance, curriculum needs and day-to-day priorities that arise.

“We are hopeful for the continued support of our donors,” Laufersweiler said. “Our school depends on the generosity of others, and we are truly blessed by those who share their gifts with us year after year.”

Education remains at the forefront at St. Edmond

Maury Ruble is in his second year serving as the middle school/high school principal at St. Edmond. Having worked for nearly three decades in public education before his arrival, Ruble summed up his first 12 months in his new position as “exciting.”

“It was a great experience,” he said. “Experiences like Catholic Schools Week and the many other opportunities for gathering that our church and school community provided were wonderful. Our kids provided a lot of great moments for us throughout the year with outstanding performances in the arts, the classroom, and of course the competitive arena.

“It was thrilling to follow the boys basketball team to the state tournament.” he added. “We celebrated a freshman athlete as a state qualifier in wrestling. The girls track and tennis teams had amazing seasons, and the boys track team had outstanding performances as well. We again had an elite team on the softball diamond to round out our athletic year. Our middle school programs had good participation, which we hope to see fuel our programs for the future.

“All in all, it was an exciting first year here.”

Ruble also noted the significant strides made in the counseling department along with improvements in the post-secondary planning for both students and families.

“Academically, our students achieved solid marks on our state standardized testing (in the 2024-25 school year),” Ruble said. “We had a senior class that earned significant financial awards for their post-secondary studies, and who provided support and encouragement as the school adjusted to new leadership. Together, we established a foundation for a bright future.

Moving forward, several goals remain at the forefront including ongoing professional development focused on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), keeping class sizes optimal for learning and broadening course offerings.”

Five sections of kindergarten were opened to begin the 2025-26 school year, along with a new section of first grade.

Tabitha Acree, elementary principal at St. Edmond, has several key goals for the remainder of 2026 for both students and staff.

“Our goals for students are to focus on strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy, providing consistent intervention and enrichment, and encouraging students to live their faith through service, leadership and daily actions rooted in Catholic values,” Acree said. “Staff goals center on continued professional growth through deeper collaboration around standards, instruction, and assessment, supported by ongoing professional development in effective instruction and classroom engagement.

“Long-term, St. Edmond schools remain committed to academic excellence by maintaining strong outcomes while supporting the whole child academically and spiritually,” she added. “We will continue to strengthen Catholic identity at every level, ensuring that Catholic values are clearly visible in classrooms, relationships, and decision-making. In addition, we will focus on strengthening partnerships with families, our parish and the broader community.”