Last week some of you read in the Tablet (our Diocesan Newspaper) that Bishop DiMarzio and the Educational Support Office have begun a process to re-configure all 113 elementary schools in the Diocese. The Diocese has seen major demographic changes in all communities. The non-Catholic population has grown. Younger families cannot afford to buy homes in some communities while some parents cannot afford Catholic education. Also the cost of running Catholic schools has increased. The Diocese believes in the unique role of  Catholic education and that Catholic schools should continue as viable, excellent and enduring. They desire that all Catholic children should have access to Catholic education: geographical access so that if children have to travel, it will be a reasonable distance and financial access so that Catholic education is affordable. There is no one model of configuration for all schools. It will depend on many factors to be analyzed. So the 7-step process of reconfiguration begins:
 
1. In September every school had to submit data: finances, enrollment trends, state of buildings, technology advances etc. We submitted our data for the office to analyze.
 
2. Information Sessions:
 
a)   The Office will review the data with myself and the principal on October 3rd.
b)   There will be a regional meeting for all the cluster schools on November 6th to share the data.

3. The Education Office will use professional assistance to look at the data and suggest the best options for re-configuration of schools in the cluster.
4. These suggestions will be given to the local parishes for their review, input and suggestions.
5. Regional meetings will be held to talk about the options and gather further input.
6. Announcement of the final re-configuration plan is scheduled for the end of February 2009.
7. Implementation.
 
This is a very ambitious program as it is assessing all 113 Catholic schools. It is proactive as it looks to the future and ways to assure the continuation of Catholic education and it is allowing opportunity for parish input. At a recent Home School Meeting I invited all the parents who wish to kept informed of the process and have opportunity to express their reactions and suggestions to give me their names and emails and I will invite them to various meetings. If any parishioner also wishes to attend, please send me your name e-mail and telephone number.
 
I ask for your prayers for this process. It will  not be easy. But these are our challenges living today in the 21st Century. Jesus has promised that He is with us always so in Him we trust.