Four Catholic Schools saved, for now

By Alayna Mendoza

aroundphilly.com

After weeks of campaigning to help save the four Catholic schools, West Catholic, St. Hubert’s, Conwell-Egan and Bonner-Prendergast, announced on February 24 that they would not be shutting down. Students anxiously waited for weeks to find out the fate of their beloved schools’ futures.
In Bonner-Prendergast, about an hour before the announcement was made, Principal William Brannick had used the school’s Public-access system to say the news conference would be live-streamed into the Bonner auditorium at 3 p.m.

At that point, with the school’s fate still unknown, a pin drop could be heard a in the hallways. The schools did everything possible to try to save them from shutting down.

The campaign to save the Bonner-Prendergast alone included email blasts to 7,000 supporters, and postcards emblazoned “Every dollar counts” sent to 32,000 alumni.

Fifty volunteers made fundraising calls from home and from phone banks. In less than two months, the effort reportedly netted $5 million. Currently, the high school has about 550 boys assigned to Bonner and 490 girls to Prendergast.

Meanwhile, on February 24 at West Catholic, Archbishop Chaput’s press conference, watched via live stream, was drowned out within seconds after the words “West Catholic” were uttered among those of the saved schools. Students cried, clapped, hugged, and jumped up and down.

At Conwell Egan, about 220 students hushed for the announcement, leaped to their feet in the gym, cheering and hugging. The streaming video of the announcement quickly switched to the soundtrack of “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. Then, the students streamed out of the gym to ring the bell in the friary.

The Archdiocese also granted the appeals of 18 elementary schools that have been stated to close.