February 6, 2006

Network announces new school configuration

The ongoing effort to strengthen Catholic education in the City of Niagara Falls is moving ahead with the decision to reduce by one the number of Catholic elementary schools in the city. The Board of Pastors of the Niagara Falls Catholic Schools Network has voted to close St. John de LaSalle School, effective with the end of the current school year in June.

Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of Buffalo, approved the pastors’ decision. “When we began the ‘Journey in Faith and Grace’ last year, it was my hope that decisions regarding the future of our schools and parishes would be made at the local level. We are continuing to take steps that will build on the contributions and sacrifices so many have made, making our Catholic schools centers of academic excellence.”

The Network consists of 14 parishes in Niagara Falls and the Town of Niagara. Each parish makes regular financial contributions to support Catholic education in Niagara Falls. Had St. John de LaSalle School remained open, the Network was projecting an operating deficit of $125,000 in the coming year.

Msgr. Leonard E. Biniskziewiz, pastor of St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus Parish in Niagara Falls and Vicar of Western Niagara, noted, “Faced with declining enrollment and tremendous financial pressures, the Network arrived at this decision. The dedication of the teachers and administration, as well as the generosity of St. John de LaSalle parents and parishioners, has always been an integral part of the school’s tradition, and we will honor those contributions as we stabilize and strengthen Catholic education in Niagara Falls.”

St. John de LaSalle has 76 students in grades Kindergarten through 5. There are just 8 students in the third grade. There are 22 students in the three-year old Pre-K program and 22 students enrolled in the Pre-K four year old program. The school has 10 full time and 5 part time employees. They will be given consideration for future employment opportunities at other Catholic schools in the Diocese of Buffalo.

Students from St. John de LaSalle will be welcomed at other Niagara Falls Catholic Schools: Our Lady of Mount Carmel School (Pre-K through 5) and Prince of Peace School (Pre-K through 5). Graduating fifth graders will be encouraged to enroll at St. Dominic Savio Middle School (Grades 6, 7, 8). Registration for the 2006-07 academic year begins February 13.

In another development, the Board of Pastors has requested that the Network be part of an initiative that was announced by the Diocese of Buffalo last month. The Catholic School Development Program will partner with the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo and selected Catholic elementary schools to effect change in the financial, administrative and governance structure of these schools by providing free consulting services for marketing, fundraising, management and governance. A presentation on CSDP will be given to the pastors on February 14.

In the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, CSDP worked with Camden Catholic High School, eliminating a $3 million deficit and increasing enrollment from 700 to 1,100.

In the coming weeks, the diocese will announce the first schools to be included in the pilot project of the CSDP initiative.

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