New round of consolidation will ‘regionalize’ Catholic elementaries Some parents unhappy over school mergers
Anya Pikul said she put her daughter’s name on the list for St. James Catholic School in Sewickley in January.
She knew the weekend announcement from the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh about Assumption School in Bellevue — where her 8-year-old daughter, Vivien, is currently enrolled — was coming, and she wanted to make sure they didn’t wind up on the St. James waiting list.
But even though it wasn’t a surprise, Ms. Pikul said she was still disappointed with the plan to merge the Bellevue school with Northside Catholic Academy in Brighton Heights. All the Assumption students would move into that school building.
“To me it was very disheartening that they would make the decision that was made,” said Ms. Pikul, who is also president of Assumption’s parent-teacher association.
The change is a part of the diocese’s elementary school “regionalization” plan and part of the larger On Mission for the Church Alive restructuring, in which the diocese is attempting to combine an evangelistic push with the need to get leaner amid declining
membership and Mass attendance. The diocese also announced this weekend that St. Rosalia School in Greenfield will close after this year, and that the North American Martyrs School and St. Bernadette School, both in Monroeville, will merge to form the new Divine Mercy Academy for the 2018-19 school year.
The most recent wave of school changes follows more than a year of preparation among schools in the North Hills and what the diocese dubbed the “Pittsburgh-East” region. Last year, the diocesan elementary schools in the North Hills area were consolidated and are now jointly supported by the region’s 32 parishes, rather than just the parish to which the schools are attached. The diocese now is regionalizing schools in the eastern part of the city and nearby suburbs, a plan that includes the closure of St. Rosalia and the merger of the Catholic schools in Monroeville.
The next group of schools to regionalize will be those in the southern section of the Pittsburgh diocese, although officials have not announced a timeline or which schools will be included.
In a news release Saturday, Michael Latusek, the diocese’s superintendent for Catholic schools, acknowledged the “sadness” that comes with the decisions to consolidate.
“While schools may need to merge and close we continue to work to strengthen the value of Catholic education for the students and families we are called to serve,” Mr. Latusek said in the statement. “We will be assisting families of current St. Rosalia Academy students in every way possible to attend another available Catholic school. We will also be supporting the Monroeville and North Side communities in forming new school families that are united to provide for the needs of their students.”
Still, some parents at the affected schools expressed frustration in online comments and after school let out for the day Monday.
“I think closing the schools is not a solution to the problem,” Ms. Pikul said. “Bellevue is in the midst of a revitalization. Teachers, the students, the community — everybody is losing.”
She decided to enroll her daughter at St. James because it’s closer to her job, but a number of other parents have expressed disappointment that Assumption’s students will move to Northside Catholic. The diocese has said that building is in better condition and has a gymnasium and integral cafeteria.
Among the concerns some parents have is that the Northgate School District, where Assumption is located, does not provide bus transportation for students who live within the district.
Katie Bleakley, who walks her dog to pick up her 10-year-old son, Sam, from school every day, said her family is looking at other faith-based school options besides Northside Catholic.
“I think everybody’s too emotional right now,” Ms. Bleakley said Monday. “We’re all exploring our options.”