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.