Parents of students at St. Patrick School are determined to save their school. Late last month, parents learned through a letter from the Parish and Principal Paula Smith that the school was in serious jeopardy of closing.
According to a recent press release, some good news came last week when the parish granted the school time to raise the $500,000 needed to save the school. The school must raise the funds by March 15 in order for remaining open to be a consideration. Once the money is raised, the school must secure enrollment of 60 students in grades Pre-K through sixth grade by April 30. Parents have banded together to do whatever they can to raise the funds to save the beloved school that has been part of the local community for 156 years.
Parents have been meeting twice a week and have put together a solid business plan for keeping the school viable for the next five years, increasing enrollment, along with crafting a massive outreach plan to reach community leaders, residents, business owners and organizations to help keep the school open.
St. Patrick School has been providing an education rooted in Christ, teaching the values and ideals that are in accordance with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. However, students of all faiths are welcomed and embraced. The small class sizes, excellent graduation rate, dedicated teachers and staff, safe and secure learning environment, and foundation of faith offer a wonderful choice for families seeking a quality education for their children, the school stated in a recent release. The school has pre-school and Pre-K programs as well as kindergarten through sixth grade.
“The school really is an integral part of the community and has been since 1859,” said Paula Smith, principal at St. Patrick School.
She added, “Many of our events bring the community together for family fun such as our Fall Fest and it would be such a shame for us to lose such a long-standing part of the community. We are appealing to the community to help us in the search to secure major investors to save this school and allow us to continue providing a loving and faith-based education to area children.”
Representatives from the school have put together a plan that revolutionizes how the school has been operating, which includes increased grant-writing, marketing and enrollment outreach, revitalizing alumni groups and ensuring that parents, students, teachers, and community leaders are all working together to create a sustainable future for the school.
“The biggest challenge we face is losing a major source of our funding, which comes from the parish,” said Rachel Smith, parent of a St. Patrick School student.
She added, “This is serious and we really need help to make this happen. We are reaching out to potential investors with the hopes that they would be willing to invest in a school that has such a positive impact on a rural community with residents seeking a choice in education for their children. St. Patrick is the only Catholic School in Tioga County and we need to keep it open. These students are our future leaders and we need to give them the best we can.”
If you are interested in donating or getting involved with saving St. Patrick School, please contact Paula Smith at (607) 687-1770.
Learn more about St. Patrick School at www.stpatrickowego.org/.
