The Rev. James Olson is a busy man. And I am eternally grateful that he found time in his busy schedule to join us last night for our 'Live From the Newsroom' show.
I wanted to ask Olson, the president of Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast high schools, whether or not they would appeal the recent recommendation that they be shut down.
But despite my best efforts, Rev. Olson was not yet ready to commit.
In case you missed it, Bonner and Prendie have been in the news just a tad this past week. That’s because they are on the hit list of schools to be closed drawn up by the blue-ribbon commission of the Philadelphia Archdiocese.
There is, however, an appeals process.
Last night, during our live-stream Internet webcast, ‘Live From the Newsroom,’ Olson said he was leaning toward filing an appeal, but was not yet ready to say he definitely would be doing so.
It was the second straight week we focused on the biggest issue in the county, that would be the news that the archdiocese would close four high schools – including Bonner-Prendie (which the archdiocese insists on recognizing as one institution), and 44 elementary schools. Of those seven are here in Delaware County. A couple, such as St. Cyril of Alexandria in Lansdowne and St. Thomas the Apostle in Chester Heights, have said they will appeal.
They have their work cut out for them.
As Olson stressed, the archdiocese is not interested in sentiment or hearing about the long tradition of the schools. In short, they want to hear the numbers.
And that usually comes down to one thing: money.
Olson said that while he is leaning toward filing an appeal, he does not want to raise the students’ hopes only to have them dashed again in a few weeks. He wants to be able to go to the archdiocese with cash in hand, maybe as much as $2 million.
To that end an escrow account has already been set up to accept donations. Find information on the fund here.
All four of the other members of the panel, all either Prendie or Bonner grads, were solidly in favor of going the appeal route.
My thanks to Anne Marie Montgomery, Prendie Class of ’76; Robert Maurone, Bonner Class of ’76; Dan Praz, Bonner Class of ’78; and Dan Callahan, Bonner Class of ’71.
All spoke passionately about their alma maters, and their belief that a merged high school would still be a very viable commodity.
The district also is surveying all school families and alums on the idea of filing an appeal, as well as their willingness to support such a move financially.
You can view the entire video from last night’s ‘Live From the Newsroom’ here.
My guess is that Rev. Olson will file an appeal.
I am not nearly as certain it will be successful.
It is my hope – and prayer – that it is. It’s bad enough to mull the notion of the loss of the tradition of single-sex education that has been the hallmark of Bonner and Prendie.
But to lose them both would just be unfair, and something I believe the archdiocese would regret.
That’s something they don’t especially need right now.
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