The Archdiocese of Baltimore announced Sept. 21 that it can no longer bridge the gap for operations and will cease providing funds to St. Maria Goretti Regional Catholic High School in Hagerstown at the end of the current academic year.
The archdiocese has provided Goretti with “substantial and unwavering support” of more than $8.5 million over the last five years, with the hope that the school would grow enrollment, increase donor revenue and balance the budget, according to a letter to families.
An independent exploratory committee comprised of Goretti alumni and school supporters is evaluating the possibility of transitioning the coeducational school to an independent Catholic school, with the intention to formulate and share plans before the end of the 2023-24 calendar year.
“The archdiocese fully supports any effort to preserve the presence of a Catholic high school in the tri-state region (Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia) and is hopeful that the independent committee can establish a model that enables it to sustain itself financially, while maintaining the quality of the student learning experience,” Dr. Donna M. Hargens, superintendent of Catholic schools, said a statement.
Ten years ago, the school had 199 students, rising to a high of 219 in 2017-18. Since then, enrollment has dropped to 147, a 33 percent decline.
With the help of the archdiocesan Department of Catholic Schools, Goretti’s students moved to a new academic campus on Crestwood Drive in the fall of 2019. The new campus offered larger classrooms, air conditioning, a chapel, science labs and other amenities. Since that move, enrollment has fallen by 40 students.
The original school building, built in 1954 on the campus of St. Ann Parish, was in a flood plain, and was no longer sustainable. Athletic activities stayed on the former campus.
Staff members of the archdiocesan Department of Schools and staffers from human resources, finance and facilities departments met with members of the school’s staff the afternoon of Sept. 21, also meeting with parents of students in the evening.
In a letter to Goretti families, Hargens and President Joseph Padasak said that given the challenges to creating a sustainable enrollment and fundraising support, “the archdiocese is no longer able to continue to bridge the increasing gap between annual operating expenses and revenue.”
The transition to an independent school faces some challenges, including finding a location. It could opt to renew the lease for the Crestwood campus, at annual rent of $320,000, or find a new location. The current lease expires July 31, 2024.
The archdiocese conducted a feasibility study for building a new academic facility on the St. Anncampus, to address the flooding issue. At that time, the project was estimated at $15.4 million, with a three-year timeline for design, permitting and construction. Construction and other costs have escalated since then, so a new projection is approximately $21 million by 2026, accordingto the letter to parents.
The school would also have to develop a sustainable long-term operating budget.
“If, after careful consideration, the exploratory committee determines that operating as anindependent Catholic school for the 2024-25 academic year is not feasible, St. Maria Goretti Regional Catholic School will cease operations at the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year,”the letter said.
Of 39 private schools surveyed by the Catholic Review for its annual tuition chart in early 2023, St. Maria Goretti was the eighth least expensive on the list, at $16,650 per year.
See also:
https://catholicreview.org/st-maria-goretti-dedicates-new-higher-and-drier-academic-campus/
https://catholicreview.org/hagerstowns-st-maria-goretti-high-will-move-in-fall/
Email Christopher Gunty at editor@catholicreview.org
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