As more than 30,000 students in the Yonkers Public Schools and their families, wait for a decision on whether they can return to school in September, students and parents who attend St. Ann’s School and St. Paul the Apostle School in Yonkers received bad news last week from the Archdiocese of New York, who announced that both schools would be closing their doors for good.
“The Office of the Superintendent of Schools of the Archdiocese of New York today announced 20 Catholic schools will be unable to reopen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three schools will merge. The coronavirus public health crisis has had a devastating financial impact on Catholic school families and the greater Archdiocese. Mass unemployment and continuing health concerns have resulted in families’ inability to pay their current tuition, and a significantly low rate of re-registration for the fall; while months of cancelled public masses and fundraising for scholarships have seen a loss of parish contributions which traditionally help support the schools.
“Children are always the most innocent victims of any crisis, and this COVID-19 pandemic is no exception,” said Timothy Cardinal Dolan Archbishop of New York. “Too many have lost parents and grandparents to this insidious virus, and now thousands will not see their beloved school again. I’ve kept a hopeful eye on our schools throughout this saga and my prayers are with all of the children and their families who will be affected by this sad news. Given the devastation of this pandemic, I’m grateful more schools didn’t meet this fate, and that Catholic schools nearby are ready to welcome all the kids.”
“Much deliberation and analysis went into the final determination of which schools would not reopen. It is expected these changes, which will impact approximately 2,500 students and 350 staff, will have the positive effect of ensuring the overall fiscal stability and strengthen the vitality of New York Catholic schools for decades to come.
“The reality of these schools being lost is painful, and it was only accepted reluctantly after a detailed study was conducted of their respective fiscal standing in the wake of the coronavirus public health crisis,” said Superintendent of Schools Michael J. Deegan. “I have been a Catholic school educator for more than 40 years, and could never have imagined the grave impact this pandemic has had on our schools. If more assistance is not forthcoming in the longed for HEROES Act now before Congress, I am afraid even more might close. This is a very sad day for everyone in the extended Catholic school community. I send my love and prayers to the families, teachers, principals and staff of the affected schools.”
State Senator Shelley Mayer, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, and City Councilmembers John Rubbo and Anthony Merante wrote a letter to Michael Deegan, Superintendent of Schools, Archdiocese of New York. “We write as the State Senator and Chair of the NYS Senate Committee on Education, Yonkers Mayor, and Yonkers City Councilmembers, respectively, serving many of the parents of children attending these two schools in our district in Yonkers.
“We, along with our constituents, were profoundly disappointed by the sudden news that these two schools were slated to close,effective immediately. As you know, these schools have been strong educational and social centers of their communities, serving multiple generations of Yonkers children with a high quality Catholic education that their parents sacrificed to provide.
“Of course, we are mindful of the challenges faced by the Archdiocese with respect to these and other schools during this pandemic, and its impact on all private schools. The abrupt notice, however, provided no opportunity to address and seek a resolution to the underlying fiscal issues that gave rise to this decision. We are asking to meet with you to determine if a merger
of schools or some other alternative is possible that modifies the plan that was released and preserves at least one of these schools, hopefully so that children attending either school will have either St. Ann or St. Paul available to them for the coming year.
“We believe this moment requires creativity and determination to find a solution; we want to work with you to achieve that. Thank you in advance for working with us on behalf of these families and children,” end of letter.
Parents and students from St. Paul’s have held rallies since the announcement and have started a petiton drive. Some have suggested combining the two schools into one to ease the pain for parents to find another school in two months.
Councilman Rubbo added, “The Archdiocese of New York received 15 Federal Paycheck Protection Program loans, totaling at least $28 million just for its top executive offices.The people of St. Paul the Apostle and St. Ann parishes want to understand what they can do to save their school. At the very least help us understand why these two schools were not offered an opportunity to combine into one.”
The Catholic school announcements come at a time where public school students and parents wait to see if the Yonkers Public Schools will open and in what form.
Governor Andrew Cuomo offered hope this week that schools could open if they are in a region with a low rate of Coronavirus, and that they have a plan to bring students back safely.
But a recent interview on the Sunday TV Talk shows with Randi Weingarten, from the American Federation of Teachers, said that schools will need an additional 20% in funding to open, and that opening could mean three days a week for younger students, and 1-2 days a week for older students.
Other school scenarios for this fall across the country include:
Students with last names A-M, go to school in the morning, and students with names N-Z go in the afternoon. Or, half of students attend school on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the other half attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with each half attending the Monday every other week.
If 25% of parents and students decline to attend school in person and prefer online, school districts might be able to find enough classroom space for the remaining 75%, if gymnasiums and cafeterias are also put to use.
The other contributing factor in trying to get schools open by Labor Day is how online learning negatively affects low income students. With some households without a computer or with no Internet service, getting those students onto a Zoom call with their teacher becomes a challenge. Recent studies have shown that online learning presents a challenge even under the best of conditions, for families and students.
