Study by Meitler Consultants for Diocese of Scranton Catholic Schools

Meitler Consultants, Inc. haas been hired by the Diocese of Scranton to study the Catholic schools throughout the Northeastern part of Pennsylvania. The Meitler group, which has its headquarters in Wisconsin, has extensive experience in regionalization of Catholic schools and in new school planning, as well as other areas.

The Times Leader newspaper recently reported that the Diocese of Scranton has hired the consulting firm, Meitler Consulting, Inc. of Wisconsin, for "at least $100,000 to examine every parochial school in Northeastern Pennsylvania ". We are not certain at this time why the study is limited to "Northeastern Pennsylvania", as indicated in the article, or exactly how much the Diocese of Scranton is actually paying Meitler Consulting.
According to some sources, the Diocese of Trenton paid Meitler a reported $1Million for their study (www.pacpub.com - January 19, 2006 article).

A quick scan of the staff at Meitler seems to indicate that the founder (Neal D. Mietler) and vice-president (Alan Meitler) specialize in or have extensive experience in "new school" planning and regionalization.
The Diocese of Trenton's study by Meitler Consulting, Inc. resulted in four Catholic elementary schools closing or being "consolidated" into one regional school:
"4 Schools consolidate to one in Trenton Diocese" (Sorry! article no longer available online)

Karen Turgyan-DeBow, whose children attended Holy Assumption School, was REMOVED from a task force and the PTA when she disagreed with the Trenton Diocese's decisions about the feasibility of closing of Holy Assumption. She had begun to ask questions. Her faith in her diocese was badly shaken because of the way she was treated. Mrs. Turgyan-Debow feels that the Trenton Diocese used the study as a "smokescreen" to execute previously planned school closings and regionalization. Mrs. Turgyah-DeBow also opined that the large amount of money spent on the consulting firm should have been used to help the schools.

Below is a portion of a letter which was sent to the editor of a local newspaper (on March 15th) by a Catholic school parent in Peckville whose son attends LaSalle Academy. You can read the entire letter by clicking on the link at the end of the excerpt.

Consultant a waste

Editor: On an unusually mild winter night in Jessup, LaSalle Academy’s Primary Center gym was alive with cheering, laughter and smiles as the crowd watched the parochial school’s two third-grade boys basketball teams compete against each other in the final game of the season.

When I returned home, I was able to watch the final four minutes of the Syracuse-Georgetown game — in which Gerry McNamara again led his team to victory in the final seconds. In 12 years, could one of these young boys from a small parochial school follow in the footsteps of McNamara, who honed his basketball skills at Catholic school gyms?

The following day, I was stunned to read in The Times-Tribune that the Diocese of Scranton had hired a Wisconsin consultant to analyze information about Catholic schools. The study, which is expected to cost “at least $100,000,” will be used to determine the feasibility of closing and consolidating schools in the diocese.

This is a huge waste of money. In each diocesan school, there are parents, educators and alumni with expertise — financial planners, attorneys, contractors, education consultants, application developers, etc. — who would willingly serve on a panel to determine the future of Catholic education in this area. I can think of a number of better uses for this money — bonuses for teachers, tuition reimbursement for parents, physical plant improvements at schools, supplies for classrooms, etc.

If Bishop Joseph F. Martino is interested in the viability of Catholic education, he does not need to hire a consultant. All he has to do is to attend a basketball practice, speak with the parents, appear at a Parent-Teacher Guild fundraiser or Mass, and meet with the children.

JOE VINANSKY

PECKVILLE