Diocese Won't Seek New Students - Schools Are Full

A page 1 headline in today's Democrat and Chronicle proclaims: "Hefty re-enrollments fill Catholic schools." The accompanying article reports that 913 students who will be displaced from the 13 schools forced to close have applied for spots in the 11 schools that will stay open.

Also, there will be no 2008 MCCS ad campaign focused on bringing new students into the system. The D&C also reports that diocesan spokesman Doug Mandelaro said that "marketing to new families would raise false hopes. 'There just aren't a lot of seats available,' he said."

Contradictions Abound

This flies in the face of what Mandelaro said in a DOR Press Release less than 10 weeks ago: "The much-lower tuition rate will greatly increase the ability of families able to afford a Catholic education at our schools and is intended to draw new families to them."

It also contradicts what Bishop Clark wrote in his February 6 Along the Way column in the Catholic courier: "We simply had to lower tuition considerably if we were to have any chance of ... attracting new families."

And it also contradicts a February 12 diocesan statement: "We reiterate that we will do the best we can to seat every child who would like to receive a Catholic education."

These Are Our Leaders?

The only logical conclusion here is that Catholic education in the Diocese of Rochester is in the hands of prideful men and women who adamantly refuse to admit a mistake, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Given the normal MCCS ad campaign, 11 Catholic schools would almost certainly have proven to have been insufficient to handle the demand. Therefore, the diocese won't run the ads.

What a wonderful display of Christian leadership!