Group pushes to save Catholic Central campus

By David Eck

SPRINGFIELD DEANERY - About 30 parents urged Catholic Central School officials to reconsider the planned closing of the school's Urbana campus after this current school year at an emotional meeting last week.

The parents, some visibly upset, said the campus should remain open and Catholic Central officials should work with them to ensure its viability.

"We want to work with you to have a successful campus in Urbana," said Eric Weisenbarger, who has a second-grader at the Urbana campus. "We just need to know as a group what you need from us."

The school's board of the trustees recently said the school would close because previously set enrollment goals at the campus were not met. The campus, one of three elementary school campuses of Catholic Central, is housing 46 students this year, a decrease of three from 2006-07. The board had previously set a benchmark of 54 students for this year in order for the campus to remain open.

Located in the former St. Mary School, the campus holds grades K-6.

While a private donation that would cover the school's financial operation for the next school year has been made, other factors played into the announced closing, Catholic Central officials said.

For example, the campus only has a total of 12 students in grades 4-6, all being taught in one classroom. Officials said that situation can make teaching difficult.

"The board deliberated the Urbana campus on many levels," said Brian Grimone, chair of the Catholic Central Board of Trustees. "We just looked a different (things) above and beyond financial viability."

While the board's decision to close the campus has been made, Grimone said he would take the parent's concerns back to the full board. He made it clear, however, that there is no guarantee that the board would reverse the decision.

"Unfortunately, the board has made that decision, Grimone said. "It's an emotional decision. It was a difficult decision."

Other concerns raised by the parents included class sizes at the two remaining elementary campuses, transportation, and helping students transition to a new campus.

In addition to Urbana, Catholic Central consists of a junior/senior high school and two other elementary campuses, all in Springfield.

It opened as a pre-K-12 school for the 2005-06 school year as Catholic education in the Springfield Deanery was unified. As part of the plan, four parish elementary schools - St. Teresa, St. Bernard and Holy Trinity in Springfield, and St. Mary in Urbana - were closed and reopened as part of Catholic Central with three elementary campuses. The elementary campuses were located in the former St. Teresa, St. Bernard and St. Mary buildings.

The seventh-and eighth-grade classes from the parish schools were merged into the high school the previous school year.

Anne Battes, deputy superintendent of schools for the archdiocese, said there have been several schools that have consolidated in recent years. She said six schools closed at the end of 2005-06 and one unified school established; at the end of the following year, four schools closed and one unified school was established.

"The decisions that are being made. . . are extremely difficult," she said. "There is a lot of grieving and a lot of loss, but it comes with hope for new growth and new life."

Father Greg Konerman, St. Mary pastor, said St. Mary School might have closed years ago had it not been for the consolidation.

"We are saving quality Catholic education for this region of the archdiocese," Father Konerman said.

Father Konerman, who represents the pastors on the Catholic Central board, told parishioners that he and the other three pastors involved, agreed with the decision to close the Urbana campus.

"Needless to say, this was a very painful decision for me, for as you know I have always been highly involved with the youngsters here at our Urbana campus," Father Konerman said in an Oct. 24 letter to St. Mary parishioners. "We have a decreasing Catholic population in this area, declining church attendance and support, an unfavorable economic environment and escalating costs of education. I believe that those factors place us in a very tenuous situation with regard to Catholic education."

Meanwhile, supporters of the Urbana campus say they will fight to keep it open.

There are a lot of hurt feelings because of the issue, said Cathy Johnson Landolfo, a graduate of the former St. Mary School and chair of the Save St. Mary School Committee. She will have a kindergartener next year.

"None of those parents are feeling any respect," she said. "They feel like they've been lied to and disrespected. Maybe we are more emotional because it is our local school."