Diocese of
as Part of Strategic Planning Process
Enrollment in Catholic elementary schools
in the diocese has declined
from
79,767 students in 1960 to 15,612 today
As part of a
strategic planning process to restructure and bolster Catholic education in
The schools to
close include Infant of Prague, St. Josaphat, Kolbe
Catholic Regional, Resurrection, and St. Aloysius Gonzaga
in Cheektowaga; St. Agnes, St. Bernard, and St. Rose of Lima in Buffalo; Most
Precious Blood in Angola; Genesee-Wyoming Catholic Central in Attica; St. Barnabas
in Depew; St. Hyacinth School in Dunkirk; Blessed Sacrament in Kenmore; and St.
Edmund in Tonawanda.
Diocesan
officials said the schools suffer from one, or a combination, of the following
factors: declining enrollment, fewer school-aged children living in the
community, significant parish or school debt, and an inordinate amount of the
weekly offertory being used to help keep the school open.
Statistical
analysis of the 14 schools finds the average per pupil cost at $4,738, while
average tuition is $1,525 which amounts to only 32% of the per pupil cost. Average
Kindergarten through Grade 8 enrollment is 87; the schools have seen a 41%
enrollment loss since 2002. Average parish subsidies to the schools amounts to
58% of the regular parish offertory. The debt of the parishes associated with
these schools averages $224,160, with the collective debt totaling $3,362,406.
“For the past
three years, the Department of Catholic Education has been engaged in an effort
to right-size our Catholic elementary school system,” said Most Rev. Edward U.
Kmiec, Bishop of Buffalo. “Their work began in January 2004 with the formation
of a steering committee consisting of representatives from various constituencies
in the diocese, and has been incorporated into the Journey in Faith and Grace
planning process.
“In 2006, we
retained the services of a leading national educational consultant, Robert F. Shea, president, Shea Consulting
Services. He has assisted the diocese in reviewing information on local
diocesan schools, and has provided recommendations on the restructuring. Years of
exhaustive research and heartfelt work by pastors, principals, parents,
community leaders, and staff have led us to this moment.
“This
restructuring is necessary to respond to changing demographics, population
shifts and economic realities in
The
challenges facing Catholic education are a national trend, and hardly unique to
Local
statistics provided by the Department of Catholic Education include:
·
In 1960, there were 79,767 students enrolled in Catholic
elementary schools in the Diocese of Buffalo. In 2007, there are 15,612
students enrolled in Catholic elementary schools.
·
In
some cases, 83 cents of every dollar collected at weekend Masses goes to
support a Catholic school, leaving few other resources to support many other
parish ministries.
·
On
average, Catholic elementary schools are operating at only 64% of capacity.
“Over the past 10 years, we have done everything
in our power to keep our school afloat,” said Msgr.
John Madsen, Pastor, St. Barnabas School. “We took a number of steps to improve
our situation -- advertising, setting up recruitment teams, visiting with the
parents of local schools that had closed -- all to little or no effect. My heart breaks at Mass when I invite the 7th
grade class to stand around the altar and there are only four students to come
up. Nonetheless, the restructuring offers us the opportunity to seek new
possibilities for revitalizing and improving our system of Catholic education.”
The
Department of Catholic Education has established a transition program that will
assist students and their families in enrolling in nearby Catholic schools.
During Catholic Schools Week (January 29 - February 4), a series of open houses
for students affected by the closings will be held at Catholic schools that can
accommodate the displaced children. Parents can visit www.wnycatholicschools.org for detailed information on where to
enroll their children.
“We will make every effort to ensure
that a desk is available at a neighboring Catholic elementary school for our
affected students,” said Denise McKenzie, secretary of Catholic education,
Diocese of Buffalo. “For Catholic education to remain viable into the third
millennium, tough decisions will at times need to be made for the good of the
whole, though these choices leave us with heavy hearts.
“Despite these challenges, our
Catholic elementary schools continue to be centers of academic excellence and
that will not change. We expect that this decision may allow parishes to
provide additional resources for their religious education programs, assisting
a large number of elementary aged parishioners who attend public schools,”
concluded McKenzie.
Staff and faculty from schools that
will be closing will be given strong consideration when filling vacancies at
other diocesan schools. Additionally, the diocese is working closely with the
Buffalo Employee and
“Despite the
best efforts of parents, and school and parish officials that care deeply, the
situation in these schools was worsening, not improving,” said Diane Vigrass, superintendent of schools, Diocese of Buffalo. “We
need to make difficult yet informed decisions to ensure that going forward,
Catholic education will continue to be a cornerstone in the development of
thousands of students here in Western New York, just as it has for countless
generations prior.”
Affected parishes
will look for new opportunities for their school buildings. Some parishes may
be able to utilize the buildings for religious education, outreach and other
parish ministries.
“We are
turning a new page in the history of the Diocese of Buffalo,” continued Bishop
Kmiec. “Recognizing that young people are a valued treasure and the future
leaders of our Church, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called on all of
us to strive toward the goal of making Catholic education ‘available,
accessible, and affordable’ to Catholic parents and their children, including
those who are poor and middle class.
“The mission
of Catholic education is vital to the future of our young people, our diocese,
our nation and our Church. We will continue to respond to these challenging times
with faith, vision, courage and the will to succeed.”
The Catholic
Schools of the Diocese of Buffalo are guided by the Gospel message of Jesus.
The goal is to build faith communities in which faculty, students, parents and
administrators support each other and grow in God's love. For more information
on Catholic schools, visit www.wnycatholicschools.org.
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NOTE: Diocese of