It’s not the reading or writing that’s causing problems for so many local archdiocesan schools, it’s the arithmetic.
No, that’s not to say that students are not learning how to add, subtract, multiply and divide. That solid tradition continues unabated.
But what continues to hang over so many local archdiocesan schools are two other sets of numbers they are all too familiar with: Rising costs and shrinking enrollment.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is in the process of celebrating Catholic Schools Week, honoring the long legacy of parochial school education, one that has an especially proud history here in Delaware County.
But in the eastern end of the county, where that tradition started, the numbers continue to be daunting.
At St. Cyril of Alexandria School in East Lansdowne, they are fresh off one miracle, now they might be looking for another.
The story of Tommy Geromichalos is familiar to anyone who reads this newspaper. We spent a lot of time and effort last year chronicling Tommy’s wish. He wanted to be able to graduate from St. Cyril’s with his class. Tommy, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, wrote a letter to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
His dedication to St. Cyril’s galvanized the community and sparked the Save Our School Committee. The result? The group raised an astounding $400,000.
Unfortunately, the problems dogging St. Cyril’s and many other older archdiocesan schools in the eastern end of the county have not gone away.
The pastor at St. Cyril’s, the Rev. Edward Kearns, said this week he has once again recommended to the archdiocese that the school be closed. The rising costs tied to the school are proving to be a drain on the entire parish.
The decision, much as it did the last time around, now lies with Cardinal Justice Rigali.
He’s expected to make a major announcement tied to Catholic education in the archdiocese this morning.
One thing he likely will touch on will not come as good news to families with students in archdiocesan high schools, such as Cardinal O’Hara, Archbishop Carroll, Monsignor Bonner, and Archbishop Prendergast. Tuition is going up.
Families will have to fork over another $240 for tuition next year. That means the annual tab for archdiocesan high schools will be $4,860. In the last five years, tuition has gone up about 1,000 percent.
I don’t know if Tommy Geromichalos has any more miracles up his sleeve.
St. Cyril’s, along with a lot of parochial schools and families in Delaware County, might just need another one.
No, that’s not to say that students are not learning how to add, subtract, multiply and divide. That solid tradition continues unabated.
But what continues to hang over so many local archdiocesan schools are two other sets of numbers they are all too familiar with: Rising costs and shrinking enrollment.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is in the process of celebrating Catholic Schools Week, honoring the long legacy of parochial school education, one that has an especially proud history here in Delaware County.
But in the eastern end of the county, where that tradition started, the numbers continue to be daunting.
At St. Cyril of Alexandria School in East Lansdowne, they are fresh off one miracle, now they might be looking for another.
The story of Tommy Geromichalos is familiar to anyone who reads this newspaper. We spent a lot of time and effort last year chronicling Tommy’s wish. He wanted to be able to graduate from St. Cyril’s with his class. Tommy, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, wrote a letter to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
His dedication to St. Cyril’s galvanized the community and sparked the Save Our School Committee. The result? The group raised an astounding $400,000.
Unfortunately, the problems dogging St. Cyril’s and many other older archdiocesan schools in the eastern end of the county have not gone away.
The pastor at St. Cyril’s, the Rev. Edward Kearns, said this week he has once again recommended to the archdiocese that the school be closed. The rising costs tied to the school are proving to be a drain on the entire parish.
The decision, much as it did the last time around, now lies with Cardinal Justice Rigali.
He’s expected to make a major announcement tied to Catholic education in the archdiocese this morning.
One thing he likely will touch on will not come as good news to families with students in archdiocesan high schools, such as Cardinal O’Hara, Archbishop Carroll, Monsignor Bonner, and Archbishop Prendergast. Tuition is going up.
Families will have to fork over another $240 for tuition next year. That means the annual tab for archdiocesan high schools will be $4,860. In the last five years, tuition has gone up about 1,000 percent.
I don’t know if Tommy Geromichalos has any more miracles up his sleeve.
St. Cyril’s, along with a lot of parochial schools and families in Delaware County, might just need another one.
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