The shuttering of schools by the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago is becoming a common event. Too common for Marta Cruz.
Two years ago, two of her sons transferred to another high school after the archdiocese decided to close Quigley South Preparatory Seminary on the Southwest Side. This year Cruz is scouting out schools for her stepdaughter now that St. Anthony Elementary School in Cicero is scheduled to be shut in June.
”This has been rough for me, because I have so many years invested here,” said Cruz, who has put five children through the school.
Her quandary was shared Thursday by thousands of other parents now that the archdiocese has announced that four suburban elementary schools and two in Chicago will be closed at the end of the school year.
Like the other schools closed by the archdiocese, the six share some common traits: Most are old, their enrollments are small and shrinking, and their parishes are in dire financial straits.
Four of the six share another trait. Their pupils are mostly Hispanic.
Besides St. Anthony, the others are Providence of God, 1814 S. Union Ave.; St. Francis de Sales, 10200 S. Avenue J; St. Charles Borromeo in Melrose Park; St. James in Maywood; and St. Isaac Jogues in Niles.
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For some parents, there are logistical worries, such as how to transport their children, accustomed to walking to school, to another parochial school miles away.
But there are even more serious concerns, such as whether public schools, some of them seriously overcrowded and plagued with gangs, present these parents and pupils with a viable alternative.
Although the closings had been anticipated at some of the schools, the news nonetheless came as a shock and has engendered some bitterness.
”A lot of parents were upset because they`re saying they (the archdiocese) don`t have any money, yet they sold the land next to the school and they`re remodeling the church,” said Beki Hawley, whose two children attend St. Isaac Jogues. ”Where`s the money for the school? They said the money for remodeling came from parishioners, but again, what will they do when the school closes and people leave?”
At St. Charles Borromeo, the decision has divided the parish, with some parents accusing the pastor, Rev. Daniel Lapolla, of trying to placate older members of the congregation, who viewed the school as a financial drain. Some said there had been some encouraging signs at the school, including a kindergarten class of 30 pupils and the fact that the school had met the archdiocesan standard requiring that tuition cover 65 percent of operating costs.
”He (Lapolla) sold out the school parents, and he really sold out the children,” said Mary Swanson, who has four children at the school. ”I don`t think the concern was with this generation or with future generations. It was a short-term decision and a very impetuous one.”
Lapolla declined to comment Thursday about the closing.
The anxiety has been particularly felt in the Pilsen neighborhood around Providence of God, where the residents have watched a succession of Catholic schools close over the last five years.
Last year enrollment totaled 201 pupils. This year it has fallen to 164.
”Over five years, we have lost 34 percent of our enrollment,” said Principal Patricia Garrity. ”The declining enrollment has forced us to raise tuition, and in the past two years, it has gone up fairly substantially.
”We`ve just begun to price ourselves out of the market. This area has been particularly hard hit by the recession and a lot of parents are losing jobs or hours in jobs and just can`t afford the increases.”