Norwich Diocese: St. Joseph School will close

Norwich — Letters in hand and tears in their eyes, parents stood in the St. Joseph School parking lot on Cliff Street Monday afternoon to ponder the diocese's decision to close the 101-year-old school in June.

"We thought this was expected, but we held out a glimmer of hope," said parent Lucia Leise, who has two daughters at St. Joseph. "Now that glimmer is gone."

Leise and other parents said they plan to remain active in the school throughout the spring but admitted Monday that the emotional closing process has left them hesitant about future volunteer commitments.

"It's hard to stay involved at this point," Leise said. "You're so angry and bitter, and you question your faith."

The letters and a written press release officially confirmed a decision parents had expected and feared since school officials first informed them of mounting financial problems on Feb. 11. Parents and teachers rallied support and submitted a proposal to school administrators and the Most Rev. Michael Cote, bishop of Norwich.

After meeting for several hours Friday, officials said the proposal fell short of solving the deep financial difficulties.

The school has a back debt of about $275,000 owed to the diocese and expects to incur another $210,000 to $220,000 deficit this year, bringing the total to about $500,000. The parents' plan called for boosting enrollment, marketing and fundraising. Faculty offered to take wage freezes and increased insurance premiums.

Diocese officials said the plan would not have reduced the $500,000 debt and fell $100,000 short of meeting annual operating expenses. Diocese spokesman Michael Strammiello said the parish does not have enough young families to sustain the school. He said St. Joseph needed another 50 students to make the school viable. The school now has 113 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

"It is saddening to close a school that has been so important to the community, the parish and the church since 1908," said Father Tomasz Sztuber, St. Joseph parish administrator. "We are grateful for the show of faith and support on the part of parents, faculty and parishioners who contributed a very thoughtful proposal to help. It is simply not fiscally responsible to continue to accrue debt we cannot hope to cover."

Principal Sister Mary Mark said Monday was a very difficult day. Mark served as St. Joseph principal from 1993 through 1999, and returned this year, hoping to finish her school career at St. Joseph. Mark signed the 20 letters to school staff Monday informing them of the closure.

Mark said she was not surprised by the closure discussion and decision.

"I've seen the finances," she said. "Payroll has been difficult."

Strammiello said St. Joseph's teaching and support staff would be given "first preference for any job openings" in the diocese's 16-school education system.

St. Joseph students also will receive priority for open slots in nearby Catholic schools. Strammiello said Monday that all students except 11 first graders can be placed at four schools - St. Patrick Cathedral and Sacred Heart schools in Norwich, St. Joseph School in Baltic and St. Bernard Middle School in Montville. School officials continue to work on finding space for the first graders.

Some parents said they enrolled their children in those schools Monday morning before learning for sure that St. Joseph would close, "as a safety net" or "just in case."

Jose Fung of Colchester chose St. Joseph in Norwich for his daughter on recommendations from parents, and he has not been disappointed - until Monday. Fung said he registered her for second grade at St. Joseph in Baltic Monday morning.

"This was a nice school," he said.

Ralph Johnston Jr. said his two children attended the 101-year-old school, and now his grandson, Connor, attends St. Joseph.

"I'm a little disappointed in the Diocese of Norwich," Johnston said. "They could have done more. It's the way of the times, I guess."

Strammiello said no decisions have been made on what to do with the stately 1908 brick school building after June 18, the last day of school barring additional snow days. Eighth-grade graduation is set for June 11 at St. Joseph Church.