St. Joseph Catholic School will not be closing its doors this month after all.
Anthony Taylor, Bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock, announced Thursday night during his commencement address at the school’s senior graduation ceremony that the school will remain open despite serious financial stresses.
Taylor said that even though the school failed to reach a set of benchmarks that he established in April, enough progress has been made toward those goals to warrant granting the school a full academic year to turn things around.
“You may recall that a few months ago I established the following benchmarks that your school needed to meet in order for your school to stay open,” Taylor said. “To have 60 students pre-enrolled for the 2012-2013 school year, to raise $200,000 in cash and pledges, and to produce a balanced budget based on realistic figures.
“Although you have not yet met these requirements you have made significant progress and a balanced budget has been submitted to the Office of Catholic Schools. After reviewing this information with the superintendent, Ms. Vernell Bowen, I have decided that you are close enough to the enrollment and fund raising benchmarks to permit me to give your school a year of grace to reorganize and develop a workable strategic plan for the future providing the enrollment does not decrease, the pledges are honored, and the budget remains balanced.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Bowen said the submission of a balanced budget by St. Joseph was key to the decision to keep the school open.
“One of the things we looked at was a balanced budget,” Bowen said. “When they submitted their proposed budget to me it was pretty evident that they had the money there for the 51 students that have enrolled for the fall as long as all of the pledges are honored. The school was able to secure $158,000 in donations and pledges.”
Bowen said Taylor granted permission for St. Joseph to enroll fifth- and sixth-grade students. The closure of St. Peter Catholic School at the end of May would have eliminated the option of a local Catholic school education in those grades.
Changes
Taylor said in his commencement address that several significant changes will occur as part of the decision to keep St. Joseph open.
“It will not be business as usual next year because it is obvious to me that very significant changes are needed for St. Joseph School’s long-term survival,” Taylor said.
Taylor said the Office of Catholic Schools will directly oversee the operations of the school including staffing, reorganizing the school board, oversight of the finances and providing support for the development of a strategic plan.
“All staff will reapply for their positions and will be interviewed by the Office of Catholic Schools which will decide who is to be hired for the coming school year,” Taylor said. “It is my presumption that most current employees will be rehired but the staffing configuration will of necessity be different next year and the Office of Catholic Schools needs a free hand to do what is best for the school going forward.”
Taylor said the current school board is being dissolved and a new school board will be appointed by the Office of Catholic Schools in consultation with the pastor of St. Joseph Parish.
Bowen said it is imperative that the wider community in Pine Bluff do what it can to help St. Joseph succeed.
“The Office of Catholic Schools is depending upon the business community and the people of Pine Bluff to support us in the reorganization,” Bowen said. “Not so much financially as much as offering advice to us. We need the names of people who have expertise in finance, fundraising, teacher planning and public relations. I hope that they step forward to help us and to offer us advice.”