Working towards a bright future for
the Monroe County Catholic
School (MCSS) system.
Presentation to the MCCS Board.
December 14, 2004.
Dr. Frank L. H. Wolfs
Representing the parents of St.
John the Evangelist School on
Humboldt Street.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
Our school system only will have a future if
we reverse the enrollment trend.
Enrollment Trends Elementary/Middle Schools
Enrollemt/Enrollment(1993-1994)
120
100
80
Mideast
Great Lakes
New York State
MCCS
60
40
20
0
1993-1994
1998-1999
Year
Frank L. H. Wolfs
2003-2004
Data from “The Annual
Statistical Report on
Schools, Enrollment and
Staffing, 2003 - 2004, and
http://www.dor.org/.
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
Reasons of Diocesan Actions
Frank L. H. Wolfs
Enrollment Trends Elementary/Middle Schools
120
Enrollemt/Enrollment(1993-1994)
• Dramatic decrease in enrollment
year over year, especially in
certain schools.
• Loss in tuition revenue from FY
03-04 to FY 04-05 is $941,388.
• Negative impact of demographics (?)
• It is clear that the Board is
obligated to take decisive action
to address the threat to the future
of Catholic education.
100
80
Mideast
Great Lakes
New York State
MCCS
60
40
20
0
1993-1994
1998-1999
2003-2004
Year
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
• While there is no doubt the Diocesan School Board went
through an extensive process to conceptualize the school
mergings, the families themselves were not individually
engaged.
• We never had an opportunity to learn more about the factors
weakening our school system, and even more importantly,
contribute to a process to strengthen our schools.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
The success of any plan depends on how it is
supported by the clients.
• The Diocese has great examples of making decisions with
community input:
• Consolidation of the school system from quadrants to the current
Diocesan system.
• Consolidation of parishes into clusters.
• The processes used to make these decisions was
community-based, involving extensive local (sometime
heated) discussions. The community had ownership in the
outcome of the process.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
Our request and our offer.
• The primary purpose of this presentation is to respectfully
request a suspension of the decision to consolidate/close the
seven schools.
• We would like to work with the Diocese and the Board to
develop an aggressive schedule of problem identification,
information dissemination and most critically, identifying
short-term and long-term solutions to funding, to
supplement the tuition realignment program that is set to
begin next school year.
• We note that the tuition realignment plan is independent of
the consolidation plan, and can be implemented even if the
mergers are suspended. In fact, the expected increase in
enrollment as a result of the tuition plan may eliminated the
need for some or all of the proposed mergers.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
Reasons for Suspension
• Process to date did not recruit parental support and in fact
alienated many parents.
• Parental/family support are the major recruitment tools for
the Catholic school system.
• Support systems are not readily disassembled and
reassembled or transferred.
• Closure of schools have a damaging effect on the parish
communities and thus the Diocesan community.
• Unclear gains from consolidation:
• Cost savings from decreased salary overhead is offset by decreased
staff morale and decreased enrollment (retention less than 100%).
• Decrease in parish financial support.
• Loss of alumni (and thus potential donors for the endowment).
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
Unclear Gains of Consolidation:
Bigger is not Cheaper.
Economy of Scale
6000
Per-pupil Cost
5000
4000
3000
2000
Data from “Balance Sheet for
Catholic Elementary Schools:
2003 Income and Expenses”.
1000
0
00-99
100-199
200-349
350-499
500+
Enrollment
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
Unclear Gains of Consolidation:
Effect on Endowment.
• The revenues of a viable school system must include:
• Realistic, affordable tuition
• An effective annual giving program
• An endowment
(see “Building and Endowment: What, Why and How”, Mr.
Steven Beaird and Rev. William E. Hayes)
• The income of current endowment of the Monroe county
system is about 0.1% of the total revenues.
• Comparisons with other regions and systems:
• Mideast: 0.8% (20.5% of schools have endowment)
• Great Lakes: 1.6% of revenues (57.1% of schools have endowment)
• Diocesan: 2.5% of revenues (52.7% of systems have endowment)
• Alumni are essential for development.
• Merging schools cuts off all connections to the alumni of
the affected schools.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
Value of Suspension
• Preserves vital Catholic communities.
• Opportunity for broad-based discussion of current problems
and possible solutions.
• Gives an opportunity to publicize performance targets,
school by school and Diocesan wide. Despite a sincere
effort by the School Board to disseminate a wide range of
information and data, there are still a multitude of questions
and outstanding concerns.
• Challenges schools/parent organizations to meet publicized
criteria of success and viability.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
Increasing Enrollment is the Key.
Why do parents leave or not enroll?
• Challenge: Tuition versus free public education.
• Response:
•
•
•
•
Tuition realignment plan.
Greater Catholic community support (more broad-based fund raising).
More consistent parental support of our schools.
Clear financial goals for the schools and the total system.
• Challenge: Quality of public schools.
• Response:
• Stepwise investments in capital improvements generates pride and
excitement which supplements the religious advantage of our school
system.
• More readily attract major donations.
• Demonstrates long-term commitment to a particular school.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
Increasing Enrollment is the Key.
Why do parents leave or not enroll?
• Challenge: Disaffection with or lack of commitment to
Catholic education.
• Response:
• A dynamic parent support organization is a key factor in attracting
new parents and is a tool of evangelization.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
A Case Study of Parental Impact.
St. John The Evangelist on Humboldt Street
Local Enrollment Trends at MCCS and
at St. John's on Humboldt Street
Number of students/
Number of Students 2000-2001
120
100
Parents Act to Address Enrollment.
80
MCCS
St. John
60
40
20
0
2000-2001
2001-2002
2002-2003
2003-2004
School Year
Frank L. H. Wolfs
2004-2005
2005-2006
Projections before 11/12
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
A Case Study of Parental Impact.
St. John The Evangelist on Humboldt Street
Parental Involvement Stabilizes Class Sizes at St. John's The
Evangelist on Humboldt Street
30
Number of Students
25
20
Class
Class
Class
Class
15
of
of
of
of
2006
2007
2008
2009
10
5
Parents Act to Address Enrollment.
0
2001-2002
2002-2003
2003-2004
2004-2005
School Year
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
A Case Study of Parental Impact.
St. John The Evangelist on Humboldt Street
• Stability at St. John’s was
achieved
by
creating
an
atmosphere such that parents
moving to the suburb decide to
keep their children at St. John’s.
• Changes in demographics do not
have to have a negative impact on
enrollment. It is word-of-mouth
that
matters
and
parental
involvement at the school is
critical.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
A Case Study of Parental Impact.
St. John The Evangelist on Humboldt Street
Enrollment Trends at St. John's on Humboldt
25
Number of Students
20
15
pre K
K
10
5
Parents Act to Address Enrollment.
0
2001-2002
2002-2003
2003-2004
2004-2005
School Year
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
A Case Study of Parental Impact.
St. John The Evangelist on Humboldt Street
• The St. John’s parents played a vital role in creating a viable
school:
• School Brochure/Marketing (Futures Club)
• School Website
• Fund raisers (Candy Sale, Auction, etc.) to make investments in the
school (improves marketability):
•
•
•
•
Internet Access
Computer Equipment
Window Treatments
Cooler/Boiler
• Enrollment is increasing.
• Adequate enrollment for socialization.
• Current class size is a strong selling point.
• But … target goal is unknown.
• Unclear actual deficit: $24,000 quoted by the Diocese is less
then the loss of parish subsidy if St. John’s is closed.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
When does St. John’s become viable?
• Current operating
$752,000.
expenses:
• Total number of student: 141.
• Cost per student: $5,333.
• Average cost per student in the 7
schools to be closed/merged:
$6,5000.
• What makes a school like St.
John’s viable?
• Operating in the black?
• Cost per student: $ 4,500? This
would correspond to 167 students.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
The bottom line:
We need hope for the future.
• Parents want security that their school has a good chance to
stay open. They are not comfortable with transferring their
children every few years.
• The consolidation process has not been associated with any
assurance from the Diocese that the merged schools are
viable and will stay open. This creates a lack of confidence,
and raises many questions. For example:
• In the case of the merger of St. John’s with St. Ambrose, the merged
school will have an occupancy of 35% (with 100% retention) or
17.5% (with 50% retention), based on a maximum occupancy of 700.
This is well below the 50% viability indicator.
• The enormous decline in enrollment at St. Ambrose during the last
four years is a great concern for the parents. The erosion of the local
base has significant implications on the long-term viability of the
merged school. Building size can quickly become a liability.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street
Final remarks.
• We respectfully request a suspension of the decision to
consolidate/close the seven schools.
• The suspension will allow the Diocese together with all the
stakeholders to formulate a strategy, supported by the entire
Catholic community, to deal with the forthcoming budget
crisis.
• We realize that Rochester is charting new territory in
Catholic education. We believe that our Diocese can be a
National leader in this area by showing how difficult and
painful decisions can be made by involving the entire
community. We are your true partners! This is not your
problem; it is our problem.
• We appreciate having the opportunity to share our thoughts
and concerns with you, and are hopeful for a positive
response within the next two weeks.
Frank L. H. Wolfs
St. John The Evangelist School on Humboldt Street