Merged Catholic Schools Would Need 218 Students, Diocese Says; Decision Expected Soon

After a meeting with parishioners at St. Francis Church about the possible merger of the two borough parochial schools, church officials delivered one solid message: there will be a school providing Catholic education in Naugatuck this fall.

“Parents (at St. Francis School) said they’ve heard rumors that there will be no Catholic school,” said the school’s principal, Thomas Fuller. “And I’ve assured them that that’s not true. There will be a school next year.”

But whether that will be one or two schools, and what the name of a merged school would be, is not finalized yet.

Discussion on the possible merger of St. Francis and St. Hedwig, the two Catholic schools in the borough, continued during Sunday with a presentation by Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Catholic Schools Maria Maynard. Decreasing enrollment over the past decade as well as an increased debt level has reportedly hampered both schools and, so far, merging the K-8 institutions has been seen as one of the more likely options to sustain Catholic education in the borough.

Maynard delivered details on what the combined St. Francis/St. Hedwig School could be like. She made it clear to that a joint school would need a minimum of 218 students to be sustainable in the 2011-12 school year.

That figure is about 90 more students than St. Francis itself has at the moment. Maynard said if the two schools merged at least 30 percent of the students at St. Hedwig would be joining the students at St. Francis.

The rest, as noted by parishioners, parents and archdiocesan officials alike, would most likely leave to go to surrounding Catholic schools.

Tuition for each student would be $3,700, Maynard said.

Despite this, the archdiocese hasn’t made a definitive decision on whether merger is going to happen. But, given the discussion that ensued during the 2:30 p.m. meeting with 50 people in the room, it appears there is a greater likelihood that the two K-8 institutions would be combining by this fall.

“All we need is the go-ahead,” said the Rev. Michael Slusz, the parish priest who also oversees the school. “Once the announcement comes form Hartford, assuming the merger does go through, immediately there would have to be a combing of the two communities as one unity, as one family.”

One parishioner put his foot down on the matter, pegging the question right toward Maynard as to when the schools would know for sure that they are merging.

“Can we tell the parents that within two weeks they’re going to at least have a decision?” asked Mike Rosa, a trustee at St. Francis whose children have long since graduated the K-8 school.

“Yes,” Maynard responded.

Slusz further dispelled assumptions that the St. Hedwigs’ students will feel unwelcome at a newly merged St. Francis/St. Hedwig school.

“They are going to be welcomed here with open arms without exception,” Slusz said. “Anything else will not be tolerated, and I won’t tolerate that from this parish family or this school.”

Some parishioners voiced their frustration at how the archdiocese has been handling the merger discussion. One person, who declined to give his name Patch, asked why the archdiocese hasn’t just come out and state that the merger is going to happen.

Rosa urged Maynard to voice the anger the parish is feeling toward the superintendent of Catholic schools, Dale Hoyt.

“It’s not anger at you, but there’s anger at this whole process and, to me, the lack of a process,” Rosa said. “This thing should have been finalized before December, so if I were a parent I’d be flipped, and as a non-parent I’m flipped.”

Rosa vented that Hoyt has yet to attend any of the meetings with the schools’ parishioners and parents, of which there have been three already. Buy Maynard noted that Hoyt will be coming once the plan is resolved, adding that it’s the responsibility for the Office of Catholic Schools to conduct this consultation process before acting on a merger.

Slusz then backed up Hoyt by noting that the superintendent doesn’t make the final decision on what happens to the schools. Rather, it’s up to Archbishop Henry J. Mansell to decide whether the schools will merge or whether another route will be taken.

“I understand the anger, I understand the frustration, but this is the archbishop’s decision,” Slusz explained. “We are under his rule, we have to do what he wants, whether you like it or not. And he insured that this process is seen through.”

Maynard then said the archbishop does not want a Catholic school to close, although for a school to remain open it would have to be a sustainable and viable institution.

Beneath the prospect of the merger brings up the question on whether even a merged St. Francis/St. Hedwig school could sustain itself even at the 218-student level. Slusz said that’s the number necessary to break even, and the hope is to continue attracting more families so that enrollment can increase.

As of this year, the school receives a $115,000 subsidy from the parish, an amount that is going to all but vanish this next school year. But despite not having the subsidy next year, Slusz said the school could wind up in a surplus, rather than an operational deficit, if it attracts more students to attend.

Editor's Note: In a previous edition of this article, Superintendent of Catholic Schools Dale Hoyt was incorrectly referred to as "Daniel Hoyt." This has since been corrected.