Rev. Thomas J. Maloney, chairperson of the Region 7 Catholic Schools Administrative Board announces the formation of the Region 7 Catholic Schools Advisory Council. The council will be made up of two parent-representatives from each of the five schools in Region 7, along with a parent-representative from the former St. John the Baptist and St. Mary’s, Avoca elementary schools. They, along with the principals of the five schools in Region 7 will join with Fathers Maloney, Daniel Hitchko, Richard Polmounter, Charles Rokosz, and Joseph Verespy to form the Region 7 Catholic Schools Advisory Council.
Noting that all Catholic schools are an _expression of the educational mission of the Church and the diocese, Father Maloney stated that, “The purpose of the council is consultative in nature. The members will be asked to assist the Administrative Board in the areas of planning, policy development, financing, public relations, and evaluation.” In being nominated by their respective pastors and principals, Maloney also noted that, “These individuals have shown a commitment to Catholic education, and evidence a high level of integrity and confidentiality. They are witnesses to our Catholic faith, to their individual school communities, and to the larger school community of Region 7. We look forward to working together to strengthen Catholic education in the Greater Pittston area.”
The newly appointed members of the Region 7 Catholic Schools Advisory Council are from Holy Rosary, Edward Kovaleski and Patricia O’Brien; from Sacred Heart of Jesus, Brenda Fernando and Georgeann Manganiello; from St. Mary’s Assumption, Theresa Langan and Joseph Saporito; from Wyoming Area Catholic, Ann Marie Durako and John Romani; and from Seton Catholic High School, Ronald D’Eliseo and Paula Panzitta. Patrick Feeney, whose children attend Wyoming Area Catholic, will represent St. John the Baptist and Roberta Wisniewski, whose children attend Holy Rosary and Seton Catholic will represent St. Mary’s, Avoca. Father Joseph Elston will represent the pastors not directly connected with one of the elementary schools.
The principals of the schools in Region 7 are: Sister Esther Falzone, S.C.C. at St. Mary’s Assumption, Kathleen Gilmartin at Holy Rosary, Thomas Killino at Wyoming Area Catholic, Mary Ann Paddock-Kaminski at Sacred Heart of Jesus, and James Redington at Seton Catholic High School.
SPECIAL Meeting of the Region 7 Advisory Council
A special meeting of the Region 7 Catholic Schools Advisory Council was held on March 8, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. at Seton Catholic High School, Pittston.
Mr. James Quinn, Finance Director of the Diocese and Mr. James Marcks, Interim Superintendent of Schools were in attendance.
The meeting began with a Prayer Service prepared by Father Thomas Maloney.
Father Polmounter suggested that Sister Mary Ann Cody, IHM, director of development at Seton Catholic High School be added to membership on the Region 7 Advisory Council. After discussion, a motion to that effect was made by Father Rokosz and seconded by Ron D’Eliseo. The motion was passed unanimously.
The purpose of this special meeting was to afford the members of the Advisory Council the opportunity to share their thoughts with representatives from the Diocese of Scranton.
Questions raised and points covered at the beginning of the discussion were:
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In the formulation of a Mission Statement for Region 7, the Diocese is open to be named as part of the Mission Statement for the region.
- The Advisory Council is seeking a statement of approval from the Diocese for efforts made thus far on the part of pastors, principals, and parents to be positive and pro-active with regard to the mission and work of Region 7.
- The council is prepared to work together, Diocese, pastors, principals, and parents for the continuance of region 7.
In speaking on behalf of the Diocese, Mr. Quinn made the following statements:
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Representatives from the Diocese have been working with the pastors, principals, and financial representatives from Region 7 – meeting with them one or two times a month, since June 2004.
- The Diocese sees Region 7 as successful and stable – in fact, the must successful and stable in the Diocese, at this point.
- The members of the Administrative Board, working with the principals, have pulled this together, forging a commitment from all 23 pastors in region 7.
- When pastors from other areas call the Diocese for advice, those pastors are looking to Region 7 as the template of success.
- Success always needs to include a “strong curriculum, grounded in Catholic values.”
- We do need to study why some parents do not choose Catholic education for their children.
- We need to look to working together to keep our parishes financially viable.
- This plan, experienced in Region 7, will work because pastors are working together.
- At no time was there ever a discussion or consideration with regard to the closing of Seton Catholic High School.
- The regionalization process was not done properly, but the Bishop felt it had to be done immediately. Mr. Quinn apologized for what everyone went through.
Mr. Marcks offered the following points:
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- Region 7 was used as the model for the Hazelton restructuring.
- This model moves all of us from competition to cooperation.
- This model calls for all involved to focus more on each other rather than on getting new students for one school.
- He complimented the region on the Catholic Schools Week ad, which focused on the region’s schools working together.
- He noted that Pittston has the oldest tradition of Catholic education in Diocese of Scranton.
- Everyone, including Bishop Martino, thinks that Region 7 is the most secure region in the diocese.
Additional questions and points raised by members of the Advisory Council were as follows:
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How do we make people aware that we (the region) are okay?
- What can the diocese do to help us ensure the region’s stability?
- Are there criteria used to determine the viability of a school?
- Every pastor in the region should now be encouraging Catholic education.
- Within the region, when one elementary school is full, there should be encouragement to register in one of the remaining schools. This encouragement has to start at the local level.
The financial reorganization has strengthened the region.
Wisniewski Will Chair the Advisory Council
A meeting of the Region 7 Catholic Schools Advisory Council was held on April 4, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall, Hughestown.
The meeting began with a prayer service in memory of Pope John Paul II. Father Thomas Maloney had prepared it. Father Polmounter read from Sacred Scripture.
The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted.
Mrs. Patricia O’Brien gave a report on the meeting with the media held at Blessed Sacrament on Monday, March 14, 2005. Bonnie Adams from The Times Leader, Joe Sylvester from The Scranton Times and The Citizens Voice, Ed Philbin from The Sunday Dispatch, and Bill Gennello from The Catholic Light were present. Mr. James Quinn and Mr. James Marcks represented the Diocese of Scranton and brought with them a statement of affirmation and gratitude from Bishop Joseph F. Martino. Father Maloney represented the Administrative Board. Atty. Joseph Saporito and Mrs. Patricia O’Brien represented the Region 7 Advisory Council. The subsequent article in The Catholic Light was excellent, with the secular press doing good write-ups. The Times Leader felt that there was no NEW news and therefore only published a picture and accompanying by-line.
Mrs. O’Brien also reported that there is a new education reporter for The Citizens Voice. Nichole Dobo had contacted the Webmaster at the Unofficial Region 7 Webpage, requesting that she be able to speak with a parent from Region 7. The Webmaster forwarded the request to both Ms. Gilmartin and Sister Mary Ann Cody. Ms. Gilmartin had Mrs. O’Brien return the call as a parent representative from the Region 7 Advisory Council.
Members of the Council then broke into committees for the purpose of organizing themselves and setting up meeting dates.
Committee Reports
Planning/Policy Development
This committee began as two separate groups, but after discussion as separate groups, made the proposal they come together as one. Mrs. Georgeann Manganiello will serve as chair of this committee. Their first scheduled meeting will be on Monday, April 25, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. at Seton Catholic High School. The members of the committee are: Ron D’Eliseo, Patrick Feeney, Sister Esther Falzone, Brenda Fernando, Edward Kovaleski, James Redington, Joseph Saporito, and Father Verespy.
Public Relations
Mrs. Patricia O’Brien will serve as chair of this committee. The next scheduled meeting will be Monday, April 25, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Rectory, Hughestown. They have been charged with the task of refining the proposed Mission Statement and presenting it at the next meeting of the Advisory Council. As a result of a meeting held on Thursday, March 10, 2005, the committee is working on a brochure for recruitment purposes. The members of the committee are: Sister Mary Ann Cody, Ann Marie Durako, Mary Ann Paddock-Kaminski, Father Maloney, and Roberta Wisniewski.
Finances
Mrs. Paula Panzitta will chair the committee. The committee requested copies of the financial statements for the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 school years of each school, along with a copy of the 2004-2005 budget for Region 7. They will study these materials in order to make recommendations with regard to general operational funding and in particular with regard to capital improvements. The members of the committee are: Kathleen Gilmartin, Theresa Langan, Father Polmounter, and John Romani.
The Evaluation Committee was also dissolved and those members have been asked to join another committee.
Officers Elected
The council then proceeded to the election of officers. Mrs. Roberta Wisniewski and Mrs. Georgeann Manganiello will serve as Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, respectively. The by-laws were amended so that the Executive Committee will consist of the Chair, Vice-Chair, one grade school principal, the high school principal, and one pastor. In addition, Sister Mary Ann Cody will serve as secretary to the Advisory Council.
Enrollment Statistics
Ms Kathleen Gilmartin gave a report on enrollment statistics. The enrollment numbers for this year were presented along with the actual numbers of those who have completed the registration process for the 2005-2006 school year. The following explanation was given with regard to the statistics:
- Pre-K and Kindergarten registrations for the coming year are at 85% of the present enrollment. That is a very good percentage for this time of year. Historically, a good number of those registrations come in over the summer months because of readiness issues: social, academic, and toileting.
- Registration for grades 1 through 8 is at 97% of the present enrollment. That number usually is at 80-85% at this time of year.
- The high school registration is at 98% of the present enrollment. That number is constant at this time.
Financial Report
A financial report of the Cash Basis Profit and Loss for Region 7, July 2004 through March 2005 was distributed. It was noted that Income (Tuition, fees, parish subsidies, fundraising, etc.) amounted to $3,206943.00. Expenses for the same period totaled $2,931,828.00. The Net Income for the 9-month period is $275,115.00. The operating checking account is with the Fidelity Bank. There is a savings account with the diocese earning 4.00% interest. That account has a balance of $50,311.00. All advanced tuition and registration fees for the 2005-2006 school year have been deposited with the diocese in a deferred income account. That account has a balance of $33,948.00 and is also earning 4.00% interest. It was noted that the net income is not a "surplus" at this time. The continued collection of tuition owed, additional fundraising projects and parish subsidies will be needed to handle the last three months of ordinary operating expenses. Any unused funds will be placed into a Capital Improvement Fund and a Scholarship Fund. Basically, the Region is operating according to budget.
Explanation of WAC Mortgage
Father Hitchko made a presentation with regard to the mortgage payment for the construction of Wyoming Area Catholic. Wyoming Area Catholic has a line item in its budget of $20,000.00 for payment on the $650,000.00 mortgage being held by the diocese. The fundraising monies from the parent organization of Wyoming Area Catholic have been designated to be used for payment of this budget item. Next year, and all subsequent years, that payment amount will be $30,000.00.
Communication with Parent Community
A discussion was held with regard to communication with the larger parent community. It was agreed that the information shared at the meeting should go a long way to strengthening the main objective of having the Advisory Council serve as a conduit from the Administrative Board to the larger parent community and from the larger parent community to the Administrative Board. The Advisory Parent Newsletter has been gratefully received.
The next meeting of the Region 7 Advisory Council will be held at Seton Catholic High School, Pittston, PA on June 6, 2005.
Feel free to contact any member of the council.
Meeting - May 10th, 2005
A meeting of the Region 7 Catholic Schools Advisory Council was held on May 10, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. at Holy Rosary Parish Hall, Duryea.
Mrs. Roberta Wisniewski opened the meeting with a Prayer for Young People. The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted.
The Public Relations Committee presented a final draft of the Region 7 Catholic Schools Advisory Council Mission Statement:
The mission of the Region 7 Catholic Schools Advisory Council is to foster, strengthen, and preserve the future of Catholic education in the greater Pittston region through a collaborative effort among Diocesan officials, pastors, school administrators, and parent representatives.
The committee also suggested a marketing slogan for the Region 7 Catholic Schools:
Our students are the Hope of the Church, Our Community, and the World.
After discussion, the members of the council approved both.
The Public Relations Committee then presented the first stages of a proposed brochure to be used for marketing purposes. It will contain a short write-up on each of the schools, along with a picture of the front of each school building. The brochure will be distributed to the parishes in Region 7, as well as area daycare centers, real estate offices, and the local Chamber of Commerce.
Mrs. Paula Panzitta then gave a report from the Finance Committee. The committee has had the opportunity to go over financial statements for the previous two years, as well as the financial reports on the present school year. The following items were put before the members of the council.
Capital Outlays - No monies have specifically been listed for capital outlays in the present school year’s budget. The understanding of the administrative board was that any surplus at the end of the year would be allocated to the schools for capital outlays, as well as some monies being set aside for financial assistance. The need to have these monies for capital projects is essential, since those projects will need to be done over the summer months.
Parish Assessments – The Parish Assessment numbers will always be soft, since they are based on the overall collections in the individual parishes. The committee also asked if the assessments were being paid in a timely fashion by the parishes.
Income vs. Expenses – It was noted that the budget is tight and that there is not much cushion for fluctuations. The pastors and principals have worked very hard to stay within the confines of the adopted budget, and making the necessary adjustments where needed.
Increased Income - It was noted that there is a need to increase both enrollment and income. The suggestion was made that we investigate the possibility of grant writing. There may be a parent who works in this field or we may need to invest in hiring someone, on a contingency basis to write grants for the region’s Catholic school system.
Mr. Pat Feeney, speaking on behalf of the Planning and Development Committee, addressed the issue of working on a concerted effort to have all pastors from Region 7 speak from the pulpit with regard to the long-term value of a Catholic education. The committee would like to set up meetings with each of the pastors and two parent representatives to have a discussion of how this might be done on the local parish level. There needs to be an overall education of the Catholic public that a Catholic education is a gift to the life of the parish and the community. Students enrolled in our Catholic schools should be active participants in the liturgical life of their respective parishes. Catholic education is an investment in the future. We also need to see that students go into each of our parishes and at some point say, “Thank you!” to the people in the pews who through their support of their parish are supporting Catholic education.
The council then proceeded to a discussion of a proposed response to the letter, which Father Maloney received from “Concerned Parents of Region 7.” After much discussion the finalized letter was approved and would be sent to Dr. James Kozik. A copy is attached to this Newsletter. A meeting will be held in the fall of 2006. The members of the Advisory Council will prepare a presentation for the parents, and volunteers will be solicited for various committees and projects.
The next meeting will be held on Monday, June 6, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. at Seton Catholic High School. Mr. James Redington volunteered to prepare the Opening Prayer.
June 6, 2005 Meeting
Seton Catholic High School
Mrs. Patricia O’Brien, chair of the Public Relations Committee presented the final stages of a proposed brochure to be used for marketing purposes. It would contain a short write-up on each of the schools. The brochure will be distributed to the parishes in Region 7, as well as
area daycare centers, real estate offices, and the local Chamber of Commerce.
Mrs. Ann Marie Durako commented that the letter sent to The Concerned Parents, care of Dr. James Kosik was very well received. Mrs. Durako has also made contact with the Pittston Chamber of Commerce and they will be very happy to provide a link on their webpage to each of the Region 7
Catholic schools. The education page of the Chamber’s website is in process at this time.
Mrs. Wisniewski commented that the feedback from the fifth edition of the Parent Newsletter was very favorable.
Mrs. Paula Panzitta then spoke on behalf of the Finance Committee. She questioned when the final statements for the 2004 – 2005 fiscal year would be available. Father Maloney said that usually reports are available by the 10th of the month, so she should be able to get a final report sometime after the tenth of July.
Father Maloney then told the members of the council that he has received word from the Diocesan Finance Office that the parish subsidies for Catholic education will be down for the 2005 – 2006 fiscal year. Parish assessments are based on parish incomes and there was a significant decline in the regional parish incomes during the prior fiscal year.
The conversation, which followed, centered on the “softness” of the parish assessment number in the Region 7 budget. The point was made that maybe there should be a “floor and ceiling” number by which these parish assessments are able to fluctuate.
The need to aggressively look for major corporate contributors and grants for the region is imperative. A motion was made by Mary Ann Paddock-Kaminski and seconded by Paula Panzitta that the Administrative Board of Pastors look into the hiring of a grant writer on a contingency basis.
The question of health care costs was raised and the possibility of combining all the Region 7 teachers and staffs into one unit was discussed. A motion was made by Patricia O’Brien and seconded by Mary Ann
Paddock-Kaminski that the Administrative Board of Pastors actively pursues the combining of the individual health plans into one group.
Mrs. Georgeanne Manganiello reported that the Planning and Development Committee has not met since the last meeting, but the council moved the conversation to the need to work on increased enrollment. There was some spent talking about who are afraid of the future of the Region
or who are “sitting on the fence.” The suggestion was made that each principal set up parent ambassadors who would be willing to meet with the parents of perspective parents, answer their questions and share information on a particular school.
After conversation, the decision was made to use the weekend of July 9/10 or July 16/17 to get the message of Catholic education out to the regional parish
communities. Pat Feeney, Paula Panzitta, and John Romani volunteered to coordinate the project. The following items were put in place:
· Father Maloney will write to each pastor and
request that they allow parents of Catholic school students to speak and be available to answer questions after each weekend Mass.
· A bulletin announcement will be produced and forwarded to each parish for the appropriate weekend.
· The committee will pull together a list of volunteers from each parish.
· Two parents will request the opportunity to meet with each pastor and go over the points hoped to be accomplished through this project
· It is hoped that students from our Catholic schools will also be present and if possible actively involved in the appropriate liturgical ministries.
