Last week, the Reconfiguration Committee of the Archdiocese of New York announced that Saint Augustine School in Highland is among a group of several Catholic schools from the upstate region at-risk of losing funding from the archdiocese.

Composed of pastors, principals, parents and representatives of the archdiocese, the committee was charged with evaluating the long-term viability of parish and archdiocesan schools by considering factors such as enrollment trends, financial subsidies, infrastructure, test scores, future demographics and ability of students to attend a nearby school.

“Declining enrollment and rising tuition are key challenges facing those schools that have been identified as ‘at-risk,’” explained Archdiocese Superintendent Dr. Timothy J. McNiff. “These under-enrolled schools require significant financial support from the archdiocese, which cannot be sustained indefinitely. We need to allocate our resources where they can do the most good, and support schools that can sustain themselves over time.”

According to Fran Davies, assistant superintendent for communications for archdiocesan schools, there are currently 101 students in kindergarten through eighth-grade enrolled at Saint Augustine’s; down 67 from 2006-07.
In the next step of this process, Davies explained that pastors and principals of the “at-risk” schools were invited to meet with members of the committee to discuss the combination of factors that led them to be included on the list. After reviewing the data, they will be given the opportunity to present a proposal to the committee outlining plans for the school’s long-term sustainability.

“This consultation will be critical to the committee’s final recommendation, so that no stone is left unturned in the collaborative evaluation process,” said Davies, adding that once the proposal is submitted to the committee, it will make its final recommendations to the archbishop of New York as to the school’s future viability in light of a reduction or elimination of archdiocesan subsidies. Once the archbishop reviews and confirms the recommendation of the committee, the superintendent of schools will notify the pastor, who will make the final decision in Jan. 2011.

No matter the outcome, Saint Augustine’s would remain open for the remainder of the 2010-2011 school year and Davies said parents would have ample time if necessary to transition their children to another school for the fall.

Saint Augustine School Principal Katy Feeney and Pastoral Administrator Fr. James Hauver declined to comment for this story.

By JESSICA McALEESE
jmcaleese@tcnewspapers.com