March 24, 2026 // Local

Behind-the-Scenes Staff Helps Bishop Luers Thrive

Todays Catholic

 

Bishop Luers High School has a diverse and talented staff that engages students with environments that help us to grow and learn. However, teachers and administration are not the only members of the Bishop Luers staff who make the school thrive. There are many other people who commit their time and talents to Bishop Luers to help it run effectively every single day.

Mrs. Sarah Contreras Higgins works in the school’s business office. She assists in the collection of tuition, lunch fees, and other school expenses. The business office is at the center of all things financial for the school, including accounts payable and accounts receivable. Along with receiving student and family payments, Contreras Higgins manages the accounts payable, which consists of regular utility payments, building expenses, invoices, and much more. Many students pass to and from this office particularly because of its fan-favorite candy bowl. Contreras Higgins said she loves all the students and that working in the business office allows her to get to know them and help them toward their future goals without the stress of teaching or managing a classroom.

Next door to the business office is a lively space that is always filled with laughter and a good time: the office of mission advancement. Ms. DeOsha Smith works here as the school’s alumni director, event coordinator, and cheer coach. She said her favorite part of her job is the students. Her office is another one that is frequently visited by groups of students during passing periods. She said some of her favorite memories come from when she worked in the special education department. Smith said she loved spending time in the classroom and interacting with all the students.

Also located in this office is Ms. Georgia Lieb, who does all the marketing and communication for Bishop Luers. She focuses on increasing engagement, enrollment, and event participation. That is a hefty job!  Lieb also runs the school’s social media page, and students are used to seeing her with camera in hand. Part of her job is educating parents and the wider community about what happens between our walls. Social media is also really helpful to communicate with the Bishop Luers community. Lieb said she loves working at Luers because no day is the same and there are so many great events happening. She also highlights her support of Bishop Luers’ mission to curate a Catholic and educational community that instills students with dignity, integrity, respect, and responsibility.

In the admissions office, Mrs. Jenny Andorfer is our director of admissions, and she is very friendly and helpful. She is responsible for promoting the school as well. Andorfer assists families with new-student enrollment, reenrollment, eighth-grade visits, and the open house. Her office is a great place to visit for incoming students who have questions or need assistance.  Andorfer said her favorite part of her job is the energy and how every day is different.

In our front office, Pat Wilkins-Smith serves as our school nurse, and she keeps us all healthy and helps us when we are not feeling well. She is a ball of energy at Bishop Luers! She said her favorite part of working at Bishop Luers is interacting with the students.

We cannot forget our janitorial staff as well. With an older building there is a lot to do daily to keep up with nearly 500 students entering and exiting each day. Plus, we all know teenagers can be messy. One could not spend a day at Luers without seeing the hard-working Mr. James Liddy. He has been working at Bishop Luers since 2014, and he loves making the school a cleaner community, and he said the hours are adequate for him. Liddy is normally found with headphones in and said he loves listening to any kind of music (although it is normally older music).

These hard-working staff members help keep Bishop Luers running every day. Not only is their work important but so is their presence. Bishop Luers would not be the same without students moving in and out of the front offices, visiting people like Andorfer and Contraras Higgins or hearing Smith’s laugh all the way down the hallway. These individuals make Bishop Luers the amazing place that it is, and as we can see from their responses, they love the community and students as much as we love them!

Lyla Kelty is a senior at Bishop Luers.