Three Essex County Catholic schools report steady enrollment
JULY 24, 2014 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 24, 2014, 12:32 AM
BY JASON MOUSSAB
STAFF WRITER
BLOOMFIELD LIFE
DALE MINCEY/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Dylan Vasquez returns to his seat after receiving his diploma from Principal Phyllis Sisco and Fr. Ivan Sciberras at St. Peter's School graduation in Belleville on June 6. The school has classes for pre-k through
eighth-grade. Upon graduation, students must move on to other schools.
The Archdiocese of Newark has closed four of 70 elementary schools in New Jersey, and Immaculate Conception High School
in Montclair held phone-a-thons, bake sales, car washes and used social media to raise $500,000 to remain open.
Despite those scares, Father Ivan Sciberras, Sister Jane Feltz, and Principal Joan Ferraer are happy to report that, respectively,
their Saint Peter's School in Belleville, Good Shepherd Academy in Nutley and Saint Thomas' Apostle Parish School in
Bloomfield are not in danger of closing.
"We are totally committed to ensuring that our school remains a beacon of hope for as many families as possible," Sciberras told
the Bloomfield Life. He also noted the close bond between the parish and the school.
The pastor said that enrollment has declined throughout the years but has stabilized since 2010-2011.
"A lot has to do with the improvements that our principal, Phyllis Sisco, has introduced since taking the helm of the school four
years ago," Sciberras said.
In recent years, Saint Peter's has had to rely on the parish financially to an extent, which has provided "a small grant for the
school's operation," according to Sciberras. The pastor explained that, since parishioners are committed to a Catholic education,
they see this act as a part of their mission.
"A healthy relationship between the parish and the school has seen a great increase in participation at Sunday Masses and other
parish activities by school children and their families. So everyone benefits from such collaboration."
Sister Jane Feltz, principal of Good Shepherd Academy, reported an uptick in students in the last two years. "Last year, there were
10 more students, bringing our total to 236 students."
She said that, since school closed in June for the summer, the academy has registered new students daily. As of this writing,
250 were registered.
Good Shepherd does have a slight deficit, according to Feltz, but she said that the academy implemented a task force. Parents,
teachers, alumni and friends are developing a multi-phased plan, "to reignite all in serving and uniting as partners in the mission
that will have a transforming impact in GSA," she said.
In addition, she said that the task force will encourage philanthropic initiatives to ensure the financial stability of the academy.
Similar to Good Shepherd, St. Thomas' maintained a steady enrollment of 250 or more students during the past two years,
according to Ferraer. The Bloomfield school expects the status quo for the upcoming school year, according to Ferraer.
Ferraer said that St. Thomas is financially sound and has been working in accordance with the budget guidelines that the
Archdiocese promulgated for schools several years ago.
She also said that, under the leadership of Father Charles Miller, along with the generosity and hard work of the parents,
teachers, parish members, alumnae, benefactors and friends, the school has continued to remain "healthy and vibrant."
Lighting the Way
Since the closings, the Archdiocese announced that it will run its elementary schools on a new model called Lighting the Way.
The plan calls for every single parish in the archdiocese, whether they have a school or not, to contribute financially to schools.
According to the Archdiocese spokesman James Goodness, the Catholic Education Commission's study on the future of
archdiocesan elementary schools led to Lighting the Way. The group consisted of clergy and more than 30 laypeople, with
experience in education, parish management, marketing, finance and other fields.
"Their examination sought to take the best elements of Catholic elementary education – Catholic identity, local presence with
strong participation by clergy and parents in the life of the school and its students, dedicated and knowledgeable faculty and
administrators, and individualized attention and creativity – and add the efficiencies of coordinated administration, marketing and
governance support.
According to the press release, since 1999, 56,000 students attended schools in the archdiocese, compared to 32,000 in 2013
alone.
"Yet in recent years, Catholic school financial support has reached an average of $15 million annually. Over the past decade, that
financial support has totaled $145 million."
Sciberras said that St. Peter's will benefit from this model, as it will be less independent from its own parish.
"I also think that many more parents are becoming convinced that affording a Catholic education to their children, in spite of the
short-term financial sacrifice that this entails, is a wise investment for the future," he said. The pastor said that there is a serene
disposition at the school on the part of parents and staff, but he believes everything will work out.
Feltz feels that the model falls in line with the philosophy and mission of GSA, "since we have had a strong governance,
enthusiasm, and willingness, on the part of the past and present parents, faculty and administrations, over the years to continue
the viability of GSA. We are excited about our successes."
Ferraer said that the model incorporates the growth of the supportive community through the development of an advisory board,
which the school is already developing.
"I anticipate continued good health under the new Archdiocesan model," she said. "We serve families from a variety of
surrounding communities including Bloomfield, Nutley, Belleville, East Orange and Kearney."
Email: moussab@northjersey.com
