Aurora Central Catholic High School is marking the 20th anniversary this year of the opening of its campus on North Edgelawn Drive.
Aurora Central’s enrollment continues to grow, but the school’s early years in its new facility brought some difficult challenges. Enrollment that was expected to increase instead declined, and new debt was created when payments on the old one were not being met.
The Diocese of Rockford made the decision to appoint the Rev. William Etheredge as principal of Aurora Central Catholic in 2000.
Having graduated from high school in Aurora, he then graduated from Waubonsee College where his father Forest Etheredge was the college’s second president.
He then became involved in high school and adult education at Holy Angels Parish in Aurora, and became interested in the priesthood.
Etheredge then studied at Catholic University, St. Meinrad Seminary, and Gregorian University in Rome. He was ordained a priest in 1983.
His career in education began as a teacher at Boylan High School in Rockford in 1985. He pursued advanced degrees in education and became an assistant principal at Boylan during the years before being asked to become the new principal at ACC.
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Etheredge knew there were some challenges at Aurora Central.
“We had to get the message out about the school,” he said. “I wanted to know when people talked about Catholic education, did they talk about Aurora Central? The challenge was to get the message out and to re-instill a sense of pride.”
Under his leadership, ACC has been named twice, in 2004 and 2005, as one of the top 50 Catholic high schools in the country by the Cardinal Newman Society.
The enrollment of about 346 in 2000 began to grow, and has continued every year since Etheredge’s arrival. It now stands at about 650 students, and this year’s freshman class represents 35 different elementary and middle schools. The school also has students attending from at least four counties.
With the continued growth came more financial stability and a memorable 2014 event.
“We paid off our mortgage and burned it,” he said with a smile. “It was eight years ahead of the anticipated date. We are in an excellent enough financial state that we’ve been given permission to expand, and are now involved in a campaign for the future.”
It has been named the Heritage of Faith Campaign, and envisions new athletic and performing arts centers, as well as science, technology and math areas. The additions could allow the school to serve over 800 students.
Etheredge joked that he is “now beginning my fourth ‘five-year contract’ as principal,” but hopes that it isn’t his last.
“I just baptized a baby who is the daughter of two of our grads who got married, and it was a grace moment,” he said. “If I guess right, the baby would be a member of the class of 2033.
“The mother asked ‘Father, will you be at ACC then?’ I said ‘I would love to still be here then.'”
“I’ve been truly blessed to be part of the Aurora Central Catholic community. My hope would be that my presence has brought blessings to others,” he said.
Tom Strong is a freelance writer for The Beacon-News