ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Cluster 23

ANNOUNCEMENT OF CLOSURE OF SAINT CHARLES BORROMEO

PARISH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
January 13, 2003

Contact:
Rev. Msgr. John T. Conway
Regional Vicar, Philadelphia-South
215-476-7484

Rev. George A. Majoros
Pastor, Saint Charles Borromeo Parish
215-735-0600

Reverend George A. Majoros, Pastor of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish in Philadelphia, announces that Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia, has accepted the recommendation from the Feasibility Study Team to close Saint Charles Borromeo Parish Elementary School in June 2003. The Feasibility Study Team was made up of the pastor, school principal, a member of the Parish Pastoral Council, a member of the Parish Finance Council, three parishioners at large and members of the Home and School Association.

The Feasibility Study Team recommended the closure due to a consistent decline in enrollment and rising operating expenses of the school. Enrollment for the 2002-03 school year is 149. That is a forty percent decrease since 1994-95 when enrollment was 364. Because of the low enrollment, tuition only covers approximately half of the actual cost to educate each student.

Background:

In February 1999, Cardinal Bevilacqua approved the Pastoral Plan of the Cluster 23 Parishes in the Philadelphia - South Vicariate. That plan called for the eventual review of Saint Charles Borromeo and Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish Elementary Schools in light of demographic shifts and viability. In fall 2000, Father Majoros called upon Saint Charles Borromeo Parish to begin a self-study of the school. The other Catholic schools of Cluster 23, Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish Elementary School and Our Lady of Angels School, conducted self-studies in spring 2002. Reverend Monsignor John Conway, Vicar for Philadelphia - South, called for the establishment of a Cluster 23 Schools Review Committee to consider the self-studies of the three schools of the Cluster. After meetings and lengthy discussions the Schools Review Committee recommended that Father Majoros formally request permission from Cardinal Bevilacqua to initiate a feasibility study of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish Elementary School. Cardinal Bevilacqua granted that permission in October 2002.

Feasibility Study:

Father Majoros informed the members of the parish and school communities of the intent to conduct a feasibility study then convoked the Feasibility Study Team. Team members began work in November 2002 and met every Monday evening until reaching their conclusion in December 2002. In addition to examining data regarding the school, the Feasibility Study Team helped to develop a questionnaire for students' families. 97 of the 149 school families responded to the questionnaire. Most of the respondents indicated that they would continue to choose Catholic education.

The pastor held a parish meeting on December 15, 2002 concerning the future of the parish school. At that time, the Feasibility Study Team distributed 300 surveys to parishioners. Most of the 123 parishioners who responded are alumni of Saint Charles Borromeo Parish School who do not presently have children attending.

Recommendation:

After meeting for a month and considering all of the pertinent information, the Feasibility Study Team concluded that the continuous decline of student enrollment and the rising operating expenses of the school warranted a recommendation to the pastor that the school close in June 2003. Father Majoros then forwarded his recommendation to Cardinal Bevilacqua who approved it in January 2003.

Plan for Education of Students from Cluster 23:

The pastors of the two nearest parish elementary schools, Saint Thomas Aquinas and Our Lady of Angels, will welcome any children from Saint Charles Borromeo Parish Elementary School. Both schools can accommodate some or all of the 149 students from Saint Charles Borromeo.

Saint Charles Borromeo School Buildings:

The school currently operates in two buildings on the grounds of the parish: the Montrose Street building at 2019 Montrose Street and Saint Charles Hall at 2001-11 Christian Street. No decisions have been made regarding the future of the school buildings.

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Saint Charles Borromeo Parish Elementary School
2019 Montrose Street, Philadelphia

Pastor: Rev. George A. Majoros
215-735-0600