(From the office of Fr. Dan O’Connor, Secretary of Education for the Archdiocese.)

In its continuing evaluation of all phases of education in the archdiocese, the Archdiocesan Board of Education feels that the Catholic high schools continue to offer a most valuable means of reaching a significant portion of our youth with the gospel message of Christ. At a time when confusion and materialism dominate society, these academically excellent schools offer an effective environment for integrating the personal, social, and spiritual development of the individual. The value of this contribution to the Christian community and to society is so great that it must be taken into account in planning the proper allocation of archdiocesan resources.

PRESENT SITUATION

ST. PIUS –There are two archdiocesan high schools: St. Pius in northeast Atlanta and St. Joseph in downtown Atlanta. St. Pius opened in 1958 as the first Catholic coeducational high school in Georgia. It has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1960. Enrollment has been at the maximum of 750 for the past three years, causing at least 50 Catholics students to be refused admission for the past term. Principals strengths of the school are its commitment to Christians education, its outstanding faculty, modular scheduling program, fine campus and physical plant, and strong community support. A major weakness is its lack of a student activities center (auditorium-gymnasium).

In 1970 the Archdiocesan Board of Education recommended to the archbishop that such a facility be provided as an “urgent” educational need. The Visiting Committee of the Southern Association will review progress toward construction of this facility, and if adequate work has not taken place by May 1974, the school may lose accreditation. A scholarship program for students unable to pay full tuition was instituted in 1970; 26 students received scholarships for the ’70-’71 year, and 50 for ’71-’72. Ten thousand dollars has been line-itemed for scholarships for ’72-’73.

Enrollment is open to all. Presently there are 20 black students and several foreign students at St. Pius. Lack of adequate public transportation is seen as a major factor in limiting increased enrollment of black students. The available land at St. Pius is more than adequate to sustain an expanded high school and a new junior high school in the event of future expansion.

ST. JOSEPH – St. Joseph began in 1960 as a city annex to St. Pius; its independence as a four-year high school was established in 1961. It has been accredited by the Southern Association since 1964 and remains “in good standing with no deficiencies.” The outstanding faculty has developed a flexible program to meet the needs of its students, who are drawn from wide social and racial backgrounds to the school’s downtown location. It is in fact the school’s accessibility to students of all strata which is the core of its strength.

The faculty, students and parents are dedicated to the continuation of the school, feeling that its heterogeneous student population and excellent religious education program make it a unique Christian community. Its location, too, in the center of downtown Atlanta, offers exceptional education opportunities, and all involved continue to endorse the plan “to make the city our largest classroom.” Some classes are being held in the State Capitol, poverty area, and various office buildings in order to suit social, business and technical courses to the individual needs of students.

St. Joseph’s primary weakness is its declining enrollment, currently 146 students below a capacity of 500. The major factor in this decline has been a ‘loss of faith in the stability of the school,” according to its planning and development committee, which recommends a public commitment to the maintenance of St. Joseph as an archdiocesan school. St. Joseph has an excellent auditorium and gymnasium. Predicted enrollment for ’72-’73 is 395 students including 25 in the eighth grade class which will be initiated at St. Joseph for the first time this fall. Ten high school scholarships will be provided for ’72-’73.

Father Jerry Hardy, archdiocesan chancellor, was quoted in the BULLETIN as saying that St. Joseph “may remain in the present location through the 1976 graduation exercises. The planning and development committee of the school is already working with the archdiocesan Board of Education and the archdiocesan property commission to find suitable sites for relocating the school.”

FINANCES

Costs have continued to rise in both schools, largely as a result of increased salaries, although these remain below those of comparable salaries paid in public school systems. The cost per student, based only on operating costs (i.e. excluding capital improvement and debt payment) show the following trends:

’70-’71 (Actual) –St. Pius; $487 for 735 students –St. Joseph: $530 for 400 students;

’71-’72 (Budgeted) –St. Pius: $564 for 745 students –St. Joseph: $666 for 356 students;

’72-’73 9Budgeted) –St. Pius: $616 for 750 students –St. Joseph: $756 for 395 students.

As is obvious, high school costs are rising yearly. To partially offset these costs, tuition (first child) for the ’72-’73 term is $500 at St. Pius and $350 at St. Joseph. Adding other educational income (fees, athletic events, etc.) still results in a new deficit to the archdiocese of $217,019 (of a total budget for both schools of $785,119), resulting in an average archdiocesan subsidy of $188 per student per year $360 per student at St. Joseph High School and $99 per student at St. Pius X. High School.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

After serious study of the available options and related information, it is the conclusion of the board that St. Pius and St. Joseph are truly archdiocesan high schools and that each makes a unique contribution to the Christian formation of the individual and the community is a first-class academic environment.

Accordingly, the Board of Education recommends that both schools should be kept open, with public assurance given that the archdiocese will remain fully committed to their support and development within the following guidelines:

1. Tuition for both schools should be scaled up over a period of years to be determined by the Archdiocesan Board and the Finance Committee.
2. Scholarships shall be provided from archdiocesan subsidies for those qualified students who wish a Catholic education but cannot afford full tuition. The Board recommends that these scholarships be full or partial and that they be determined by a committee set by the secretary of education.
3. That professional advice be sought immediately as to the feasibility of establishing a nonprofit educational foundation to received donations, bequests, and endowments to promote scholarships for qualified students who wish a nonpublic Christian education.
4. A critical determinant for the continued operation of either school is the ratio of tuition to subsidy. If tuition cannot be maintained in such a manner as to pay the majority of all operating costs of either school, serious consideration should be given to closing the school. Other determinants include total enrollment and the ability to maintain a quality program in religious education.
5. That a public commitment be given supporting the construction of a student activity building at St. Pius: if archdiocesan monies cannot support this project, the planning and development committee should be allowed to initiate other means of financing.