By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – A brand new program has been unveiled to create viable Catholic schools across Western New York. It is called the Catholic School Development plan. Details were presented Wednesday at St. Joseph University School on Main Street in Buffalo -- one of schools asked to participate in this effort.
Kindergartners at St. Joseph's were busy learning about bears and trees, while outside their classroom door, diocesan leaders gathered to explain a program to strengthen Catholic education.
The Foundation of the Catholic Diocese is collaborating with the International Education Foundation of New Jersey to bring this program to the Buffalo area. Twelve area schools have been selected to participate in phase one. The schools will be provided with business and marketing plans focusing on recruitment, enrollment and fundraising. Dwight Hatcher, director of the program in Camden, New Jersey, is assisting Buffalo's effort. Hatcher says marketing the grade schools must start with Kindergarten.
"Like the realtors rule, location, location, location. We have a rule to and it is Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Kindergarten," Hatcher said. "That is the foundation for the entire sweep of the entire Catholic educational system."
Buffalo's Diocesan Foundation Executive director David Kersten says this new process begins as the Diocese continues its Journey in Faith and Grace -- the long term plan to consolidate, merge and close some parishes and schools. But he says this integrates well with the Journey in Faith effort.
"We needed to act with great urgency," Kersten said. "So that was the thinking."
The principal at St. Joseph says her school -- with 250 students -- has a healthy enrollment. But Sister Genevieve wants to learn who to maintain and grow those levels.
"It is our hope that marketing our schools will show we are a great resource to the educational plan," Sister Genevieve said. "Catholic education is also the mission of the Church."
Along with St. Joseph, St. Mark and Our Lady of Black Rock in Buffalo will also participate in phase one, as well as schools in Niagara Falls, Olean, Wellsville, Angola, Orchard Park, Amherst and Leroy.
Another 20 schools will be named to participate in phase two in early September.