Diocese asks schools for reports
Advertiser Staff and News Services
The Diocese of Honolulu is asking some of the state's Catholic schools to prepare reports on challenges they face in administrative aspects such as curriculum, enrollment and finances, officials said.
Although the request has some parents fearful that their child's school may be in danger of closing, a church official said the request is aimed at helping the schools plan for a future in difficult times, not to determine what schools may need to be shut down.
"The diocese is trying to be proactive in addressing the problems of schools that may be in trouble for a variety of reasons — either financially or with enrollment — so they can catch problems early," Patrick Downes, spokesman for the Diocese of Honolulu, said yesterday.
Statewide, the Honolulu Diocese oversees operations of 10 preschools and 26 grade schools, Downes said. There also are seven Catholic high schools in the state, though some of them are not attached to a specific parish, he said.
Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo said yesterday that it may be time to look at reconfiguration.
Making sure that struggling Catholic schools "are leaner, and more effective" helps keep tuition affordable and re-enumeration for teachers at the same levels, he said.
Downes said he did not know how many schools had been asked to prepare the so-called "future viability" reports, which provide "an overall snapshot of the financial health of the school and the enrollment health of the school."
On Maui, parents of children at three schools — St. Joseph, Christ the King and St. Anthony Junior Senior High — said they were aware that those schools were asked to prepare reports.
At St. Joseph School in Makawao, knowledge of the diocesan request had parents complaining about a lack of information and of cooperation by church leadership.
"Myself, as well as other parents, feel that the decision has already been made. There doesn't seem to be a strong commitment to saving the school," said Jon Lazo, an alumnus and parent of a child at the school.
Downes said the reports are being requested to avoid a situation similar to what happened at Our Lady of Sorrows in Wahiawa.
With little warning, the school was forced to close in June because of low enrollment. The notice, which came the day after students left for the summer, was a shock to parents who thought the school was on the rebound. It was the first Roman Catholic school to close on O'ahu in more than 20 years, diocesan officials said.
The reason for the Wahiawa school's closure — declining enrollment — follows a national trend among small parish schools.
Downes said enrollment in the kindergarten-8th-grade school fell below 100 students and was on a "downward spiral."
"It's happened in the past where a school doesn't address the problems until it's too late, then they're faced with big decisions like closure," he said.
St. Joseph Principal Ed Alexander said the request for a viability report was positive in one way, leading some people to call and ask how they can help the campus. That led to an effort currently under way to promote the school locally.
Advertiser Staff Writer Mary Kaye Ritz contributed the comments from Bishop DiLorenzo and some of the information on Our Lady of Sorrows. Reach her at mritz@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8035.
