Blessed Margaret of Castello 

REACH (Religious Education for All Children) Program

Mission Statement

The Blessed Margaret of Castello REACH (Religious Education for All Children) Program in the Diocese of Baton Rouge, is committed to providing measurably superior services that address the unique and diverse needs of all students. This commitment supports our belief that all students have the right to an effective education. We believe that this focus on providing an effective education in an atmosphere of Catholic Faith Formation, prepares students for their roles as Disciples of Christ, and sets the stage for them to become lifelong independent learners and compassionate and contributing members of a diverse society.
 

Program History

In 1962, Bishop Tracy established special education services in schools. In 1981, the program was consolidated into a special school that was housed in the present day Tracy Center on the grounds of the Catholic Life Center.  In 1987, it was relocated to the school campus of St. Louis King of France so as to address “least restrictive environment” concerns.  In 1988, the high school-aged students were moved to the campus of Redemptorist High School.  In 1990, the remaining elementary students were moved to the campus of St. Gerard, which is now Redemptorist Elementary School.  In 2010, the program was once again consolidated on one campus, that being Redemptorist High School. In 2014, a task force came together to revisit best practices of special education and in the fall of 2015, opened on 6 school sites with 30 students whose needs for services ranged from students on the spectrum to students needing lab services to remediate dyslexia. Currently, we have 4 schools with Special Education classrooms and 9 schools with a Dyslexia Lab and Instructional Support Services.