Since it appears as though Northeast Catholic, as we know it, will cease to operate after June, 2010, I thought I’d jot down some facts and figures that may or may not be commonly known. Note: If any of the following is wrong or misrepresented, I’m sure I’ll hear from people, and corrections will be made at a later date.
Timeline
One big happy family....
1993 – The Office of Catholic Education (OCE) gathered the school administrators and alumni association together and told them that as long as the entire school system was making a profit, no one school would be held accountable for, or closed, due to their debt.
Promises, Promises.....
2003 – Apparently, someone forgot about the promise made in 1993, as the school system was still running at a profit, yet the OCE sent a bill to Northeast Catholic for payment of their debt. This “bill” was North’s debt for the year, which means the school spent more than it took in through tuition, fees, and fundraisers. That debt was satisfied by a generous donation by the Alumni Association’s “Save North Catholic” fund.
Hope on the Horizon....
2006 – With the addition of the NC IT Academy, the OCE promised North that they would have 5 years to get the program off the ground and start making money, which would be given to the school in the form of tuition assistance. I wasn’t at that meeting, but the NC administration was either told, or got the impression, that North would be safe for, at least, 5 years. From what I understand, there are nearly 100 students currently enrolled in the evening school at the IT Academy. What that means is that profits are being realized, despite what the OCE claimed in the newspapers. But, moving forward, we’re not exactly sure what will happen with this program.
Generous Alumni.....
2003 – 2009 – From 2003, through 2009, when the OCE started demanding a debt payment, the Alumni Association, through the Save North Catholic Fund has given MORE than what was asked for by the school to cover this debt. What this means is that North Catholic carried NO DEBT between the years 2003 and 2009, thanks to the good folks at the alumni association and the contributors to those programs.
Screw You, Pay Me!
Spring, 2009 – The archdiocese demands payment of the 2008-2009 debt. The alumni association, as well as the school administration, was told that if the debt (and it was a big number) wasn’t paid immediately, they would be forced to close the school in June, 2009. Well, the debt was once again paid, mostly by the Save North Catholic Fund, and the school did not close in June, 2009.
All Bets Are Off....
Oct, 2009 – Since the archdiocese kept it’s promise to not close North in June, 2009, it appears that announcing the closing fourth months later would be a better idea. This announcement came without warning and as a total shock to the North Catholic (and Cardinal Dougherty) communities.
More Hope, More Despair.....
Oct, 2009 – March, 2010 – A group of prominent NC alumni, with the help of the Jesuits, as well as the alumni association, began a feasibility study to re-open North in September, 2010, as a Cristo Rey Network school. This feasibility study had that approval of the Cardinal, and help from the Jesuits in Philadelphia. In March, 2010, it was determined that opening the “new” school could not occur in September, 2010, as planned. Some of the planning committeemen approached the archdiocese to ask if they would keep the school open for the 2010-2011 school year, as an archdiocesan school, while the transition to the Cristo Rey school took place. The group promised to raise funds enough to cover not only the 2009-2010 school year, but the 2010-2011 school year. What this meant was that keeping the school open for one more year, during the transition, would not cost the archdiocese a dime. There were no grand delusions that the school would be open for one more year for any other reason than to transition the school to the Cristo Rey model. In the process, it would allow continuity for the current NC students, and would allow a class to graduate each year moving forward, with the only difference being that the school would be, once the 2011-2012 school year began, a Cristo Rey Network school. Regardless of the plan, and the promise to fund the debt, the archdiocese would not budge from their decision to close the school in June, 2010. You can draw your own conclusions as to why they took this stance.
Just a Personal Rant
I keep hearing the same thing, over and over again. I keep hearing that the alumni should have done something before the closing announcement. I even heard this was part of an article that a certain teachers’ union president wrote within the last month. Of course, she didn’t have a clue before she went off on her rant. The fact is, the Alumni Association, through the Northeast Catholic Alumni Memorial Scholarship program, as well as the Save North Catholic Fund, have donated over $4 million dollars to North Catholic since the early 1990’s, including over $3 million for tuition assistance, not to mention an additional $1 million towards the school’s debt and other programs since 2003.
The decision to close North wasn’t just about money. The problem is that we’re dumbfounded as the real reason for the closure. I say it “wasn’t just about money” because the school has not cost the archdiocese a dime over the past 7 years, yet the school was closed. But, one reason that it was about the money was because when the archdiocese came to the alumni, FONECHS and the school demanding money last year, they were given a big chunk of what was in the Save North Catholic Fund. And, after that, the alumni association was asked about the funds in the scholarship program. When they were told that the money in the scholarship program could not be used for the school’s debt (as per that corporation’s charter), the archdiocese must have figured that they bled the association and school of everything they had. But, as I mentioned above, they kept their promise and didn’t close the school in June, 2009. Instead, they waited 4 months and announced the closure in October, 2009. Once again, and contrary to popular belief, the school didn’t cost the archdiocese a dime in the 7 preceding years. So, it wasn’t ONLY about money, because if it were just about the money, the archdiocese would have continued with North Catholic until the debt couldn’t be paid. With North's dedicated and generous alumni, and the track record in recent years, paying the annual debt would have been a "no-brainer."
Moving forward.
As it stands now, even if a school called “Northeast Catholic High School” were to open in September, 2011 (don’t count on it with the Oblates taking the lead), it wouldn’t be until June, 2015 that the first class of seniors would graduate. My assumption is that the school would no longer have ties with the alumni association, as it would be a new and private school. You might as well call it "Joe's High School and Tackle Shop." I don’t speak for the alumni association, but I just don’t see how that organization would consider graduates of that school to be part of the Northeast Catholic Alumni Association.
Alumni Scholarships
As far as awards from the Alumni Memorial Scholarship program, there are several things currently in the works regarding current awards, as well as the future of the Scholarship Program. More information is expected on or after April 8, 2010, when the alumni association meets to sorts out some of these issues. Once that happens, I’ll post any information that I have for you.
No NC in 2010-2011. What Now?
Now that the announcement has been made regarding North Catholic and Cristo Rey, I have decided to share some of my thoughts on this matter. These are thoughts that I have kept to myself since the announcement of the closing of North Catholic and Cardinal Dougherty. Mainly, I was hoping, as many of you were, that the Cristo Rey option would become reality in the 2010-2011 school year. But, as we now know, this will not be the case, and instead, the NC/CR planning team will try for a September, 2011 start date. What I won't do here is point fingers and assign blame for the mess that we currently find ourselves. That would be pointless, and counterproductive. Plus, everyone has an opinion on this anyway, and who am I to point a finger?
What Does This Delay Mean?
Well, the plan was that Northeast Catholic, a Cristo Rey Network School, would open in September, 2010. All of the current students would be accepted in this new school, continuing a tradition that has lasted since 1926. Even though an income requirement would be necessary for new students, the existing students would have no such requirement. Many, but not all, of the traditional North Catholic families could send their sons to North Catholic in the coming years. But, with the decision to move the start date to September, 2011, all of the current underclassmen will have to find another school for the 2010-2011 school year. And, if the Cristo Rey school does open in 2011, many of those students will not come back. And, we still don't know if the offer to allow current students to attend in the 2011-2012 school year, regardless of income, will still be there.
As for the current students who receive NC Alumni Memorial Scholarship money, I'm told that those scholarships will be honored, provided there is no Northeast Catholic, and that student attended a school in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. I'm not sure what would happen if that student, who is forced to transfer, stays at the new school if/when the new Cristo Rey school opens for the 2011-2012 school year. For answers to questions regarding the alumni scholarships, call the NC alumni office at 215-289-4994.
As far as athletics are concerned, your guess is as good as mine. There was a rumor going around that if NC was to stay open in the 2010-2011 school year, the Office of Catholic Education was not going to allow NC to participate in the league, which is contrary to what the PCL's Athletic Directors wanted. Remember, this is a league that NC has participated in since the late 1920's. I'm not sure if that was ever settled or not, but you can count on the OCE trying to prevent NC from participating in the Catholic League if/when the school puts teams on the fields. In my opinion, it's just another way they can kick us while we're down.
Where should your son go?
I'd love to have the answer to this question, but I don't. I'm fortunate, as my only son graduated from NC in 2007, so I don't have to make that decision. But, I've been asked by many people, "Mike, what would you do?" I've given that question a lot of thought, and here's what I came up with. First, you have to look at what is the best fit for your son. Here's how I broke it down:
1. Do you value Catholic Education and will you continue to send your son to a Catholic School? If your answer is "Yes", there are many options. The closest schools are Judge and Roman. Both of these schools are all boys schools. If that is your preference, these are your only choices in the archdiocese. If single sex education is not as important or if you'd rather send your son to a co-ed school, the closest school is not a Philadelphia school, but rather Camden Catholic. CCHS is right over the Betsy Ross bridge, in Cherry Hill. The tuition is a little higher, but they are a quality school, with real good academics and very good sports programs. Other schools in the city are Ryan, Neumann-Goretti and West Catholic, but depending where you live, those schools could be a bit of a travel to get to, assuming you live in the traditional NC feeder area. If sending your son to a Catholic school is not that important to you, there are other non-public options, such as private schools or charter schools. But, keep in mind that these schools are not as easy to get into, especially this late in the game.
2. Is your son an athlete? I have spoken to several of the North coaches, and they all seem to have their players' interest at heart. My suggestion is to speak with the current coach and get their advice before you make a decision. Just keep in mind, that unless your son is an exceptional athlete, he may be seen as an outsider at the new school, especially by the players who may feel threatened by your son.
3. Is your son involved in non-athletic activities (band, art, Model UN, Drama, etc)? Is so, make sure the new school has those activities, and ask hard questions. For example, if your son is in the band, does the new school teach music as a course or just have a band and you're on the hook for the extra cost of studying a particular instrument?)
4. Will your son need transportation? If so, see if the new school will provide a bus to your neighborhood, or make sure Septa can get your son to that school.
What would I do?
After giving this topic much thought, I came to a conclusion. Yes, I value Catholic Education, and I do value single sex education. As I stated above, it would appear that I would have only two options (Judge or Roman). But, in reality, I would only have one option. I would send my son to Camden Catholic. You see, I have been soured by the good folks running the Philadelphia Archdiocese. I would pay the extra money (about 25% higher), and bridge tolls, to send my son across the river. Like I said above, CCHS has both an excellent academic and athletic programs. The only certainty in my decision would be that my son would not go to Father Judge. My problem with Judge isn't the school itself, but the fact that it is run by the Oblates of St Francis DeSales. I have come to know many of the Oblates over the years, first as a student, then as a parent, and finally as a volunteer with the sports programs. Many of these priests are incredible men, but I firmly believe that the Oblates, as an order, gave up on North Catholic years ago. For that reason alone, I would not send my son to Judge. As for Roman, being a school under the control of the Philly Archdiocese is enough for me, but I also wouldn't want my son to travel downtown early in the morning or evening on the EL. But, that's just me.
The bottom line here is that we don't know what the future holds. The only certainty is that there will NOT be a Northeast Catholic High School for Boys in the 2010-2011 school year. After that, it's anybody's guess. As for me, I think it's time to walk away. Based on the feasibility report, the Oblates will be taking the lead in the next round, which could lead to the school re-opening as a Cristo Rey school in 2011. It also stated that the Archdiocese could very well be involved in the new school. Since both of these organization will or could be involved, I have decided that it's time to move on. Who knows, I could very well be rooting for the Fighting Irish of Camden Catholic next season. But, who knows? I certainly don't.
What Does This Delay Mean?
Well, the plan was that Northeast Catholic, a Cristo Rey Network School, would open in September, 2010. All of the current students would be accepted in this new school, continuing a tradition that has lasted since 1926. Even though an income requirement would be necessary for new students, the existing students would have no such requirement. Many, but not all, of the traditional North Catholic families could send their sons to North Catholic in the coming years. But, with the decision to move the start date to September, 2011, all of the current underclassmen will have to find another school for the 2010-2011 school year. And, if the Cristo Rey school does open in 2011, many of those students will not come back. And, we still don't know if the offer to allow current students to attend in the 2011-2012 school year, regardless of income, will still be there.
As for the current students who receive NC Alumni Memorial Scholarship money, I'm told that those scholarships will be honored, provided there is no Northeast Catholic, and that student attended a school in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. I'm not sure what would happen if that student, who is forced to transfer, stays at the new school if/when the new Cristo Rey school opens for the 2011-2012 school year. For answers to questions regarding the alumni scholarships, call the NC alumni office at 215-289-4994.
As far as athletics are concerned, your guess is as good as mine. There was a rumor going around that if NC was to stay open in the 2010-2011 school year, the Office of Catholic Education was not going to allow NC to participate in the league, which is contrary to what the PCL's Athletic Directors wanted. Remember, this is a league that NC has participated in since the late 1920's. I'm not sure if that was ever settled or not, but you can count on the OCE trying to prevent NC from participating in the Catholic League if/when the school puts teams on the fields. In my opinion, it's just another way they can kick us while we're down.
Where should your son go?
I'd love to have the answer to this question, but I don't. I'm fortunate, as my only son graduated from NC in 2007, so I don't have to make that decision. But, I've been asked by many people, "Mike, what would you do?" I've given that question a lot of thought, and here's what I came up with. First, you have to look at what is the best fit for your son. Here's how I broke it down:
1. Do you value Catholic Education and will you continue to send your son to a Catholic School? If your answer is "Yes", there are many options. The closest schools are Judge and Roman. Both of these schools are all boys schools. If that is your preference, these are your only choices in the archdiocese. If single sex education is not as important or if you'd rather send your son to a co-ed school, the closest school is not a Philadelphia school, but rather Camden Catholic. CCHS is right over the Betsy Ross bridge, in Cherry Hill. The tuition is a little higher, but they are a quality school, with real good academics and very good sports programs. Other schools in the city are Ryan, Neumann-Goretti and West Catholic, but depending where you live, those schools could be a bit of a travel to get to, assuming you live in the traditional NC feeder area. If sending your son to a Catholic school is not that important to you, there are other non-public options, such as private schools or charter schools. But, keep in mind that these schools are not as easy to get into, especially this late in the game.
2. Is your son an athlete? I have spoken to several of the North coaches, and they all seem to have their players' interest at heart. My suggestion is to speak with the current coach and get their advice before you make a decision. Just keep in mind, that unless your son is an exceptional athlete, he may be seen as an outsider at the new school, especially by the players who may feel threatened by your son.
3. Is your son involved in non-athletic activities (band, art, Model UN, Drama, etc)? Is so, make sure the new school has those activities, and ask hard questions. For example, if your son is in the band, does the new school teach music as a course or just have a band and you're on the hook for the extra cost of studying a particular instrument?)
4. Will your son need transportation? If so, see if the new school will provide a bus to your neighborhood, or make sure Septa can get your son to that school.
What would I do?
After giving this topic much thought, I came to a conclusion. Yes, I value Catholic Education, and I do value single sex education. As I stated above, it would appear that I would have only two options (Judge or Roman). But, in reality, I would only have one option. I would send my son to Camden Catholic. You see, I have been soured by the good folks running the Philadelphia Archdiocese. I would pay the extra money (about 25% higher), and bridge tolls, to send my son across the river. Like I said above, CCHS has both an excellent academic and athletic programs. The only certainty in my decision would be that my son would not go to Father Judge. My problem with Judge isn't the school itself, but the fact that it is run by the Oblates of St Francis DeSales. I have come to know many of the Oblates over the years, first as a student, then as a parent, and finally as a volunteer with the sports programs. Many of these priests are incredible men, but I firmly believe that the Oblates, as an order, gave up on North Catholic years ago. For that reason alone, I would not send my son to Judge. As for Roman, being a school under the control of the Philly Archdiocese is enough for me, but I also wouldn't want my son to travel downtown early in the morning or evening on the EL. But, that's just me.
The bottom line here is that we don't know what the future holds. The only certainty is that there will NOT be a Northeast Catholic High School for Boys in the 2010-2011 school year. After that, it's anybody's guess. As for me, I think it's time to walk away. Based on the feasibility report, the Oblates will be taking the lead in the next round, which could lead to the school re-opening as a Cristo Rey school in 2011. It also stated that the Archdiocese could very well be involved in the new school. Since both of these organization will or could be involved, I have decided that it's time to move on. Who knows, I could very well be rooting for the Fighting Irish of Camden Catholic next season. But, who knows? I certainly don't.
ANTHONY WHITE BECOMES NORTH CATHOLICS FIRST STATE MEDALIST!!!!!
as many people in the wrestling community know, the Pennsylvania Wrestling State Tournament is the toughest high school wrestling tournament in the country. The depth of PA wrestling is legendary and many wrestlers go their entire careers without even wrestling in the state tournament. It is not uncommon for PA wrestlers who did not place in the state tournament to beat wrestlers for other states who are 2 and 3 time state champions!
This past weekend in Hershey, PA, Anthony White became North Catholic's first PIAA State Medalist with a 7th place finish in the 140lb weight class!!!!!!!!!!!!! The entire school community would like to congratulate anthony on a terrific job this past season and best of luck on your college wrestling career!!!!
Lastly, if any old north catholic wrestling alumni are reading this and have not gotten any info about our alumni party on April 24th, please email me at thesav150@aol.com
This past weekend in Hershey, PA, Anthony White became North Catholic's first PIAA State Medalist with a 7th place finish in the 140lb weight class!!!!!!!!!!!!! The entire school community would like to congratulate anthony on a terrific job this past season and best of luck on your college wrestling career!!!!
Lastly, if any old north catholic wrestling alumni are reading this and have not gotten any info about our alumni party on April 24th, please email me at thesav150@aol.com
NORTH CATHOLIC FINISHES 6th AT REGIONALS....QUALIFY 2 WRESTLERS TO STATES!!!!
this past weekend the north catholic wrestling team traveled to Council Rock North HS to take part in the Southeast PA Regional Tournament. This tournament is the final qualifier to the PIAA State Tournament. To qualify, you must place in the top 4 in your weight class. The regional tournament contains all of the schools from the city and the suburbs. NC finished in 6th place, our highest finish in the two years of the event. here is a breakdown of all of the place-winners....
103 - mike mccall - 4th place - PIAA State Qualifier. Mike dropped his first match of the tournament then stormed through the consolation bracket with 3 straight wins to punch his ticket to states. He dropped the 3rd place match 6-5 and finished 4th in the Region.
125 - David Davidson - 5th place - david also dropped his first match. he then won his next two matches to set up the consolation semi-final. David dropped a 8-4 decision to a two time state qualifier. david then exacted some revenge for his earlier loss, winning the 5th place match by major decision. david finishes his career with 103 career wins.
140- Anthony White - REGIONAL CHAMPION!!! - anthony white became the first regional champion in North Catholic and PCL history. on his way to the championship, he defeated the #15, #4 and #5 ranked wrestlers in the state! his performance was so dominating in the finals, the wrestler he was facing QUIT with about 5 seconds left! anthony is now 38-2 on the year and needs 3 more victories to reach 100 career wins.
215 - AJ Vizcarrondo - 6th place - AJ finished his sophomore year with a 6th place finish at the regional tournament. The 215 bracket was one of the toughest brackets in the tournament. AJ dropped his first match, won his next two and had a show-down with last years PIAA 3rd place finisher with a trip to states on the line. AJ fought hard but dropped a 3-1 decision in OT. AJ currently has the most wins by a freshman and sophomore in North Catholics history.
285 - Jeremy Reith - 6th place - Jeremy lost 3 - 1 point decisions in the tournament. He dropped his semi-final match 3-2, his consolation semi-match 3-2 and his 5th place match 4-3 in ot. Jeremy was denied a shot to states by some shady officiating which i still lose sleep over. Lets hope that this motivates jeremy to be more offensive and train hard during the off-season.
Congrats to the Regional Place winners and also congrats to our other regional qualifiers: Erik Stankiewicz, Nick Cancelliere, Thomas Goodyear, and Will Trainor. also, best of luck to our departing seniors and keep it going at the next level.....
stay tuned to the PIAA States and the update to follow.....
103 - mike mccall - 4th place - PIAA State Qualifier. Mike dropped his first match of the tournament then stormed through the consolation bracket with 3 straight wins to punch his ticket to states. He dropped the 3rd place match 6-5 and finished 4th in the Region.
125 - David Davidson - 5th place - david also dropped his first match. he then won his next two matches to set up the consolation semi-final. David dropped a 8-4 decision to a two time state qualifier. david then exacted some revenge for his earlier loss, winning the 5th place match by major decision. david finishes his career with 103 career wins.
140- Anthony White - REGIONAL CHAMPION!!! - anthony white became the first regional champion in North Catholic and PCL history. on his way to the championship, he defeated the #15, #4 and #5 ranked wrestlers in the state! his performance was so dominating in the finals, the wrestler he was facing QUIT with about 5 seconds left! anthony is now 38-2 on the year and needs 3 more victories to reach 100 career wins.
215 - AJ Vizcarrondo - 6th place - AJ finished his sophomore year with a 6th place finish at the regional tournament. The 215 bracket was one of the toughest brackets in the tournament. AJ dropped his first match, won his next two and had a show-down with last years PIAA 3rd place finisher with a trip to states on the line. AJ fought hard but dropped a 3-1 decision in OT. AJ currently has the most wins by a freshman and sophomore in North Catholics history.
285 - Jeremy Reith - 6th place - Jeremy lost 3 - 1 point decisions in the tournament. He dropped his semi-final match 3-2, his consolation semi-match 3-2 and his 5th place match 4-3 in ot. Jeremy was denied a shot to states by some shady officiating which i still lose sleep over. Lets hope that this motivates jeremy to be more offensive and train hard during the off-season.
Congrats to the Regional Place winners and also congrats to our other regional qualifiers: Erik Stankiewicz, Nick Cancelliere, Thomas Goodyear, and Will Trainor. also, best of luck to our departing seniors and keep it going at the next level.....
stay tuned to the PIAA States and the update to follow.....
NC WRESTLING SENDS 9 TO REGIONALS!!!!
hey everyone, i havent had a ton of time to write up a new post. we have been very busy picking up our intensity for the regionals this week! the whole nc community is very excited about our chances this weekend and feel that good things are gonna happen for north catholic wrestling.....
here is the tournament breakdown
Place: Council Rock North High School
Times: Friday - 5:30 - pigtails, pre-lims, and quarterfinals
: Saturday - 9:30 - 1st and 2nd round consolations
- 11:00 - Semi-finals
- 1:00 - Consolation semi-finals
- 6:00 - Regional Finals
I hope to see many of you at the regional tournament this weekend......
sav
here is the tournament breakdown
Place: Council Rock North High School
Times: Friday - 5:30 - pigtails, pre-lims, and quarterfinals
: Saturday - 9:30 - 1st and 2nd round consolations
- 11:00 - Semi-finals
- 1:00 - Consolation semi-finals
- 6:00 - Regional Finals
I hope to see many of you at the regional tournament this weekend......
sav