Catholic School Closings Leave Void in Urban Rochester

by Rick Kern
Thu, Feb 7, 2008

After a ten-year, $25 million gift enabling countless disadvantaged families from urban Rochester to choose a Catholic education for their children, the Wegman family, along with countless others, is broken hearted over the Diocese of Rochester’s recent announcement to close 13 Catholic schools in Monroe County.

R News, Cable channel 9 in Rochester, reported the family released a statement lamenting: “We are deeply saddened by the circumstances that have led to the Diocese’s decision. Our donations over the years were an investment in children, not in buildings. Those children received a great education, and in that regard, we received a wonderful return on our investment.”

Believed to be the largest donation ever made to Catholic elementary education in the nation, Robert Wegman and his wife, Peggy, both attended Rochester Catholic schools and were well aware of their virtue. Thus when the demographics of the city shifted in the mid-1980s, the Wegman family realized there were more low-income families with children to educate and responded generously.

At face value the closings seem evenhanded with seven suburban and six inner city schools slated to be shut down. Yet a closer look reveals a highly controversial imbalance in the split. While the closings leave just 11 Catholic schools open in Monroe County, 10 of the remaining schools are located in the suburbs and only one is left in the city proper, the Cathedral School at Holy Rosary on Lexington Avenue. Accordingly, many question what appears to be a glaring lack of academic opportunity for urban students, in spite of the Wegman family’s past liberality and compassion.

According to the Monroe County School Boards Association, suburban Rochester has a public school student body that tops off at just over 85,000. Moreover, the Rochester City School District tells us that their student enrollment is approximately 32,500, making the suburban to urban student ratio a little better than 2.5 to 1.

Admittedly, there are additional numbers that had to be crunched and other concerns that had to be weighed. Nonetheless, if the public school figures even marginally reflect reliable proportions, the question is obvious: why don’t the Catholic school closings conform more to the demographics? In addition, Catholic schools are not only celebrated for their academic excellence but also noted for providing a distinctly moral learning environment.

The answer may be hiding in plain sight as the volley of shut downs is part of a dramatic effort to stop the financial bleeding the Diocese of Rochester has struggled with. Heavily indebted, the Monroe County diocesan school system is reportedly burdened with a $1.3 million shortfall and anticipates deficits well beyond three times that amount next year should all schools be kept open and enrollment remain consistent.

Besieged by escalating expenditures and declining enrollment that is said to have dwindled to nearly half of what it was a decade ago, the past several years have found the diocese in the throes of an economic meltdown. Its crisis has grown so unforgiving that Bishop Matthew Clark appointed a task force to evaluate the extent of the damage last September.

Not exactly a dream job, the 23-member group grappled with nightmare level deficits, diminishing enrollment, and mounting tuition costs that put the schools out of reach especially for urban families that are often dependent on financial aid. Their findings were delivered to the bishop in early January and among the most disturbing recommendations were the multiple school closings. The unexpected decision, which stunned the community, stands to impact close to 1,900 students and nearly 200 faculty and staff members.

Striving to shore up remaining schools the bishop, who was visibly shaken by the difficult resolution, has announced both tuition reductions and one-time credits for families who re-enroll their children in the diocese’ remaining academic institutions. In addition, some of the other schools have taken steps to reach out to the deeply dispirited families and create educational opportunities.

For example, Bishop Kearney and Nazareth schools both quickly organized open houses for interested families to evaluate their programs. Additionally, Bishop Kearney, which now offers grades 9 through 12, is reported to be adding grades 7 and 8 for the 2008-09 school year and should be able to accommodate nearly 200 additional students.

McQuaid Jesuit High School, an independent private Catholic school, appears to be launching one of the few focused efforts to reach out to underprivileged urban families. Said to be establishing a year-round, stand-alone middle school in the city, ironically the venture is not in response to the school closings but a proactive effort that was in the works prior to the announcement. An ambitious project, the McQuaid School hopes to open in the fall of 2009 and enroll up to 120 students from needy families in grades 6 through 8, providing most of them with scholarships.

While McQuaid continues to ride a quietly cresting wave of much deserved praise, its program may offer clues as to why the diocese chose to leave just one inner city school open. It stands to reason that the rampant economic hardship plaguing urban families probably makes Catholic education unaffordable and causes most students to rely upon scholarships to attend Catholic schools. If true, the financial burden on the individual schools and diocese to accommodate these families would be considerable. It is a tired old cliché, but: “Do the math!”

It is no mystery that the standard of living and median income among suburban families far exceeds their urban counterparts. Thus it is possible that the level of tuition assistance necessary for suburban students to attend Catholic schools falls far below the rigorous demands of inner city students for scholarships. Perhaps that explains the 10 suburban schools remaining open as opposed to the solitary city school.

Ms. Novelette James, a graduate of Catholic schools in the city, said she shares the Wegmans’ keen sense of loss and is deeply grieved for what her community and her children will suffer from the closings. Like most parents, James reacted sharply to the unexpected announcement expressing sorrow and anger over the loss her kids will have to endure.

Another parent, Vanessa Davis is extremely frustrated and had nothing but praise for her daughter’s school. “My daughter attends the St. Monica School. As this is the only school system that my daughter knows, I am deeply hurt, not only for my daughter, but for all of the kids, parents and teachers that we have become accustomed to calling a family!” Furthermore, she has seen her daughter, “flourish and grow from a timid flower to a vibrant, secure little girl within the confines of St. Monica.”

Davis believes in the program so completely she gets behind it in every way possible. “I have given every ounce of my free time where I could and where time was needed to support the efforts of the school because I believe in the education that she is receiving.”

And should there be any doubt remaining, the disheartened parent firmly dispels it explaining, “As a single parent, I would rather sell my house in order to keep my child in private school.” Many parents are asking tough questions, such as what the determining criteria for closing a school was, and demanding straight answers. And while registration for the 2008-09 school year has been extended to March 19 to help presently enrolled students, it is little consolation. For his part Bishop Clark, who is doing the best he can to balance the bottom line with the needs of the people, is extremely distressed by the tough decision he had to make, expressing sorrow at all the hurt he realizes it will cause.

Superintendent of Schools Jean-Claude Brizard offered him, and affected families, the Rochester City School District’s support, and assured the community that there is work on a contingency plan that will allow displaced students to be accommodated by public schools.

Mayor Duffy also weighed in with heartfelt empathy saying, “As a product of a Catholic education in Rochester, I am saddened by today's announcement of the closings and consolidations of schools in the Catholic Diocese.” He also identified with the difficult decision faced by the bishop saying, “My heart also goes out to Bishop Clark and his management team. It is clear to me that this decision was arrived at only after every other option had been exhausted due to the pain that these actions will cause.”

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