Archdiocese: Northeast Catholic, Cardinal Dougherty to close

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia said today that Cardinal Justin Rigali will hold an unusual 7 p.m. news conference to address the future of two archdiocesan high schools.

On its Web site, the archdiocese posted letters to parents announcing it was closing Northeast Catholic for Boys and Cardinal Dougherty High Schools at the conclusion of the 2009-2010 school year.

The letters state the decision to close the schools was due to a "steady decline" in enrollment.

Dougherty's enrollment has plunged by more than 43 percent over the past decade and was projected to fall by an additional 34 percent in the next three years.

The school has a capacity of 2,000 but an enrollment of only 642.

"The school's physical plant is the third largest in the archdiocese and is simply too large for the projected enrollment in the region," Richard McCarron, secretary for Catholic Education, and Supt. Mary E. Rochford, wrote in a letter to parents today.

Northeast Catholic's enrollment, they said, had dropped 29 percent in the past decade and was forecast to decline by an additional 24 percent over three years "despite every effort by the school and our alumni to increase enrollment, broaden fundraising and market the school," McCarron and Rochford told that school's parents.

The school's capacity is 1,700 but it only has an enrollment of 551.

Cardinal Dougherty was founded in 1956, during a great building boom for the Archdiocese. It has educated more than 40,000 students.

Northeast Catholic, known as "North Catholic," was opened in 1926 and was at one time the world's largest Catholic high school for boys, according to a school history. At one time, its enrollment swelled to more than 4,700 students.

The news hit Northeast Catholic boys' soccer coach Gerry Brindisi hard.

"This is a death," Brindisi said. "This is a death of our program. This is a death of our neighborhood society."

Brindisi was livid, calling the archdiocese "cowards" for making the announcement during the school year after so many underclassmen have enrolled. And for both schools' athletic programs, the announcment tears through the current fall sports season.

"There are just so many open quesitons now," Dougherty athletic director Steve Carr said. "The initial shock is just wearing off."

Northeast Catholic football coach Charlie Szydlik gathered his players together late this afternoon for a meeting to break the news.

"I was saddened because there is so much history there," senior linebacker Billy Butler said. "My whole family went to that school. It's heartbreaking."

Football coach Tony Owens said he went to Northeast Catholic and had remained involved with the school for 30 years.

"It's a shame because what's going to happen to the kids?" Owens said. "They have to get their lives disrupted. Socially and academically it's hard for kids to adjust to a new place."

Owens also expressed concern whether students' scholarships and financial aid would carry over to their next school.

Dougherty and Northeast will be the first archdiocesan high schools to close since 2004 when St. John Neumann and Saint Maria Goretti High Schools in South Philadelphia merged to form Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School High School.

In 2006, the archdiocese restructured the administration of the adjoining Msgr. Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast in Drexel Hill but each school has retained its individual identity.

The archdiocese previously had announced it would close and consolidate both Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School of Norristown and St. Pius X High School in Pottstown when the new, $65 million Pope John Paul II High School opens on in Royersford next fall.

It is moving forward with plans for replacement for Lansdale Catholic High School in Hilltown, Buck County, as well.

As recently as 2002-03, 23,102 students were enrolled at 22 high schools. Annual tuition then was $3,520 for Catholic students.

This year's rate is $5,100.00.

The news conference will be streamed live at www.archphila.org