Archdiocese Announces Appeals Process for Schools Recommended to Close, Merge

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced a review process Tuesday for parish and school administrators who want to appeal the recommendation of a closure, partnership or regionalization for their school, according to an Archdiocesen press release.

The 16-member Blue Ribbon Commission, appointed in December 2010, as to what Catholic schools should close, partner or regionalize after a yearlong review.

Four high schools and 44 out of the 156 elementary schools in the Archdiocese were recommend to close or merge at the end of the school year.

In Delaware County, 14 elementary schools are affected by the recommendations. Seven schools will close and then merge with seven other schools at that building's facility. New names for the regionalized schools are likely and the teachers and staff from both facilities will have to reapply for positions.

A school official of has told the Haverford-Havertown Patch that St. Denis will merge with to become the new John Cardinal Foley Catholic Elementary School next school year.

Archdiocesean high schools, Monsignor Bonner, Archbishop Prendergast, West Catholic, St. Hubert and Conwell Egan were recommended to close at the end of the school year.

The Archdioceses has established two review committees, one for high schools and one for elementary schools to deal with appeal requests. Pastors, elementary school principals and high school presidents seeking an appeal have been asked to contact the Office of Catholic Education to request a meeting with the appropriate review committee, according to an Archdiocesen press release.

These committees, which consist of members of the Blue Ribbon Commission and Archdiocesan administrators, will hold review meetings beginning Jan. 12 and continue through early February.

At these meetings, the review committee will present the school representatives with all the facts used in reaching the school's recommendation and school representatives will be given the chance to present a reasoning as to why an appeal should be granted using facts and documentation, according to the press release.

The review committees will then present all of the information to Archbishop Charles Chaput for his consideration and he will make a final decision.

A final listing of the schools affected will be made public by mid-February.