By Kathi Stearns, Staff Writer

ATLANTA—Archdiocesan officials announced that they have reopened the application process for tenth-grade students at Blessed Trinity and Our Lady of Mercy High Schools, which are scheduled to open this August.

Interested students and parents are asked to contact the Department of Catholic Education regarding their level of interest by July 7.

In early March, education officials canceled the tenth-grade class because by the application deadline of Feb. 1, they had received only 21 applications for the tenth-grade class at Our Lady of Mercy High School, Fairburn, and just 50 applications for the tenth-grade class at Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell.

However, Donald T. Sasso, Secretary for Education, said that he and Archbishop John F. Donoghue are attempting to honor the original commitment that was made by the Department of Catholic Education and the Archdiocese of Atlanta to open a ninth- and tenth-grade at both high schools.

“There was significant disappointment on the part of those that had applied for tenth grade ... when the decision was announced that a tenth grade would not be offered,” said Sasso in a letter to parents and students who initially applied to the tenth-grade class at both of these schools. “Many of you have contacted the archdiocese and asked if that decision could be reconsidered. This letter is to inform you that we are willing to give conditional consideration to that request ... We want to go the extra mile to re-look at this situation and make a final decision shortly after July 7.”

A student interest card, accompanied by an application fee of $50, is necessary to have one’s application reopened.

In addition to reconsidering the tenth grade, the Department of Catholic Education, with the assistance of the archdiocesan Development Office, is currently visiting area parishes to show parishioners and interested students the model of the state-of-the-art high schools and the uniforms. Members of the school’s administration and faculty have been on hand to address questions, meet potential students and distribute applications.

A proposed 500-student school, Our Lady of Mercy is projected to begin the year with 125 freshmen and a sophomore class. The school will add one upper grade each succeeding year. The high school is located in north Fayette County adjacent to the south Fulton County line, at High-way 138 and Holyfield Highway. John Cobis has been named principal.

A native of Columbus, Ga., Cobis, 41, began his career in education as a teacher, coach and athletic director working from 1981-88 at Our Lady of Mercy Elementary School in Potomac, Md. From 1988-90 Cobis was the principal of Our Lady of Lourdes School, Atlanta. Cobis served the St. Pius X High School community from 1990-97 as an English instructor, dean of students, director of admissions and coach of various teams. Since 1997 Cobis has been serving as principal of his alma mater, Pacelli High School in Columbus.

The other new Catholic high school is Blessed Trinity High School, which is adjacent to Queen of Angels School and St. Peter Chanel Mission in Roswell. A proposed 1,000-student school, Blessed Trinity is projected to begin the year with 250 freshmen and a sophomore class.

Since there were fewer applicants for the sophomore class than the freshman class, both schools expect a smaller sophomore class if the grade is reinstated.

The first principal of Blessed Trinity High School will be Frank Moore, a dean of studies at St. Pius X High School, Atlanta, for 10 years and principal for the past two years of Bishop McGuinness High School in Oklahoma City. Moore, who holds a master’s degree in mathematics education from Tulane University in New Orleans, also taught for 15 years at a Catholic school in Metairie, La.

Enrollment figures have not been announced for either school.

Scholarships of $750 each will be available to assist currently enrolled and prospective high school students in both the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 school years at the two new Catholic high schools. The tuition is $6,500.

In addition, tuition assistance to assist active Catholic families is available through an endowment fund administered by the Department of Catholic Education.

Interested families can request scholarship information and obtain an application to either high school or more information by calling the Department of Catholic Education at (404) 888-7833.