Former Viking Matt Birk is co-founding a Catholic high school in Burnsville By Nick Ferraro

hen Matt Birk announced his thriving high school and thriving served as a chairman for seven years. retirement from football six community.” The Catholic school started with 10 W years ago, the Baltimore Birk is a devout Catholic who students and now has an enrollment of Ravens center and former Minnesota attended private schools his whole life about 165 at campuses in Edina and Viking did not hold a news conference — Nativity of Our Lord School, then off Stillwater Boulevard on St. Paul’s at the team facility. He chose a library Cretin-Derham Hall High School. He East Side. at a Baltimore elementary school as said he realizes that more and more “I wanted to do this, but I didn’t know the place to say he was leaving the children continue to be priced out of what it takes,” Birk said. “I’m not a game he first played as a kid growing Catholic education, especially when detail person, and Tom is. He knows up in St. Paul. they hit high school. Unity’s tuition for exactly what to put in the budget, “I’ve enjoyed playing football. But as the 2019-20 school year will be $6,500. things like a crucifix for the rooms and much as playing football, I’ve enjoyed “We’ll go up a little bit from there, but desks and how you hire. Just being doing this,” the 14-year NFL veteran not much,” said Birk, a Harvard through it before, he knows and has said, referring to his community service graduate with a degree in economics. the template of how to do this year with children through his HIKE “I don’t want this to come off like I’m one.” Foundation. throwing any stones Birk took questions from a class of at anybody, but it students who sat legs crossed and doesn’t have to cost looked up at the big man who helped $15,000 or $20,000 bring the city a Super Bowl win a few a year. And I was a weeks earlier. A boy in the back asked financial-aid kid and Birk why he’s retiring. would not have been “Well, I’m old,” Birk said, drawing able to go to high high-pitched laughs. “I have six kids, school without and it’s just time. I just feel like it’s time financial aid. But to do something else.” even with that, it was Birk, now 42 with two more kids and a big struggle. living in Mendota Heights, believes he “But I think we has found that something else. For the have a sound past year, Birk has been working with financial model and Tom Bengtson, a local entrepreneur also a good and businessman, to start up what product.” would be the metro area’s first Catholic high school south of Interstate RECEPTION HAS 494. BEEN GOOD Named Unity High School, it is set to The idea has been Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk, bottom, plays with his children on open this fall in space at Mary, Mother in Birk’s head since the Mercedes-Benz Superdome field after an NFL Super Bowl XLVII of the Church in Burnsville, offering retirement. After walkthrough on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, in New Orleans. The Ravens ninth grade only. The plan is to then moving back to the faced the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. (AP Photo/Patrick add a grade each year until those Twin Cities two years Semansky) freshmen are in 12th grade. ago, he heard from a The two met up a year ago and “we “We’re going to start small, maybe 25 friend that Bengtson was looking to do realized our visions were pretty students or so the first year,” Birk said the same in the south metro. similar,” Bengtson said last week. last week. “We’re not only looking at Bengtson, who is the owner and Bengtson had already spent a year this as just year one … we’re thinking president of a small publishing doing research and hosting weekly 20 years down the road. What is this company, co-founded Chesterton meetings with community leaders in going to look like? We think it will be a Academy in St. Louis Park in 2008, and Lakeville to gauge interest. The Bengtson said his research shows school in the archdiocese, Bengtson reception was good. So are the there about 70,000 Catholic high said. prospects. school-aged kids in the Archdiocese of Former Baltimore Ravens center Matt “There are 10 Catholic grade schools St. Paul and Minneapolis, and that only Birk holds a child after the Ravens’ in that south-metro geography area 7,300 of them attend the 14 Catholic Super Bowl XLVII victory in 2013. Now that have eighth grade,” Bengtson high schools each year. Bengtson said living in Mendota Heights, he is working said. “So that means there about 300 that tells him there is lots of room for to start up what would be the metro eighth-graders graduating every year Unity High School without hurting the area’s first Catholic high school south from Catholic grade school in kind of enrollment of current ones. of Interstate 494. (AP Photo/Gene that south-metro geography. Most of “And we’re not setting up right next to Puskar) them end up going to public school any schools,” he said. “The closest There are obvious challenges to because there’s really no close schools to us are going to be St. starting out, he said. Students and options, and also there’s an Thomas and Visitation and Holy teachers will have to bring their own affordability issue there, too.” Angels — and those are nine miles lunch. There is not a gym, but the away. And you have to cross the river church has land with a soccer field to get to them.” next to the school that can be used for physical education. EMPHASIS ON LEADERSHIP, And with Birk being a former NFL CHARACTER player, people want to know about The school will combine a standard athletics. That will depend on the liberal-arts-plus-science-and-math interest of students and willingness of curriculum with an “emphasis on the parents to volunteer to coach, leadership education designed to Bengtson said. develop character, virtue and a desire “I tell people that sports are one of to serve,” according to its website. the important, unimportant things,” Wednesdays will be reserved for Birk said. “We’ll have sports, but I think “Real World Wednesdays,” offering up you need to keep sports in perspective. leadership training, hands-on learning Here’s what I’d like to say: If you think and a service component that will be you’re a Division I athlete, and if that’s part of the students’ graduation your focus, don’t come to Unity. But if requirements. Students will go to Mass you want to be Division I in your faith three days a week. and your character and leadership, “But what we really want to do, what then come to Unity.” we think we’re doing is giving kids a Bengtson said 40 families with foundation, putting them on a eighth-graders have said they would Tom Bengtson trajectory to thrive in life, regardless of consider going to the school in the fall. their path,” Birk said. “And that starts Just two families have paid the down Bengtson, 58, grew up in South with giving them a firm foundation in payment to secure a spot, but Minneapolis and went to Academy of their faith.” Bengtson said he is not worried about Holy Angels in Richfield. He said it The school has begun the three- the low number “because families tend always amazed him that some of his phase process with the archdiocese to to wait until August to decide.” classmates would drive from Apple gain official status as a Catholic high Birk said his second-oldest child will Valley, Burnsville, even Lakeville, be in the inaugural class and that the to get to Holy Angels. Those rest of his kids will follow. cities have since exploded in “A lot of people like what we’re population, not to mention doing and like the fact we’re taking a Eagan and Rosemount. swing at this,” he said. “But there’s an “There’s still a clear need,” he element of courage for a family to said, adding he doesn’t consider decide, ‘Hey, I’m going to send my St. Thomas Academy and kid to this new high school. Is it real? Visitation School in Mendota Is it happening? Is it going to be Heights to be south metro sustainable?’ I tell people, ‘OK, I’m because they are north of sending my kids to this school, so this Interstate 494. “If you go into the is happening.’ And hopefully, that south metro, you don’t hit gives some people some confidence another Catholic high school that Unity is going to be around for a until you get to Faribault. So if long time.” you live in Lakeville, there are no options.”

Former Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk holds one of his children after the Ravens’ Super Bowl XLVII victory in 2013. Now living in Mendota Heights, he is working to start up what would be the metro area’s first Catholic high school south of Interstate 494. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)