The celebration at St. Joseph’s School in Collingdale may have been a bit premature.
The struggling school – and the die-hard group of parents and supporters working to keep it open – rejoiced a few weeks ago when a new pastor was brought in and Cardinal Justin Rigali announced the school would get a reprieve and possibly stay open next year.
But that reprieve came with some strings attached.
Some fairly short strings, it turns out.
Backers say they were well aware that they would have to demonstration that they could get 200 kids registered for next year to keep the school open.
But they claim they had no idea they were only going to get a few weeks to do it. The archdiocese informed they must meet the numbers by March 30 – next Tuesday – and they were not interested in offering an extension.
Now nerves are once again frayed all around.
It’s a continuing sign of the troubling times for Catholic education in the eastern end of the county.
Beginning this Sunday, staff writer Patti Mengers will examine this issue, with an overview of the daunting numbers so many schools face in the inner-ring suburbs up and down the eastern part of the county. She also will examine one school that is managing to keep its head above water, and how they’re doing it, along with a school in the western part of the county that is enjoying the fruits of the huge influx of new residents into that area.
We’re calling it “Lessons in Faith.”
The struggling school – and the die-hard group of parents and supporters working to keep it open – rejoiced a few weeks ago when a new pastor was brought in and Cardinal Justin Rigali announced the school would get a reprieve and possibly stay open next year.
But that reprieve came with some strings attached.
Some fairly short strings, it turns out.
Backers say they were well aware that they would have to demonstration that they could get 200 kids registered for next year to keep the school open.
But they claim they had no idea they were only going to get a few weeks to do it. The archdiocese informed they must meet the numbers by March 30 – next Tuesday – and they were not interested in offering an extension.
Now nerves are once again frayed all around.
It’s a continuing sign of the troubling times for Catholic education in the eastern end of the county.
Beginning this Sunday, staff writer Patti Mengers will examine this issue, with an overview of the daunting numbers so many schools face in the inner-ring suburbs up and down the eastern part of the county. She also will examine one school that is managing to keep its head above water, and how they’re doing it, along with a school in the western part of the county that is enjoying the fruits of the huge influx of new residents into that area.
We’re calling it “Lessons in Faith.”
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