North Catholic High reopening delayed a year

Supporters of a proposal to convert North Catholic High School into a private, Catholic academy after it closes in June said today there was not enough time to make the change for September.

But they pledged to continue working in hopes of opening the new school in the fall of 2011.

"There were too many things you have to do right and carefully," said John McConnell, a leader with businessman/philanthropist Paul Hondros, of a group working to bring a Cristo Rey school to the North Catholic site. "We didn't want to rush it because we wouldn't get the quality . . . We are committed it will work out."

A feasibility study found wide parental and financial support for a Cristo Rey school but determined there was not enough time to make it happen by the fall.

The 24 schools in the Cristo Rey network are private Catholic schools that provide college-prep education for urban students. Students are required to work one day a week at approved jobs; their pay goes to support their schools.

McConnell, who heads the board of St. Joseph's Preparatory School in North Philadelphia, acknowledged today that the yearlong delay would be disappointing for the loyal alumni North Catholic - and the current students and families - who were hoping the school would open in the fall.

In October, Cardinal Justin Rigali announced that North North Catholic in Frankford and Cardinal Dougherty High School in Olney would close in June because of declining enrollments and rising costs.

In December, the archdiocese and the National Cristo Rey Network authorized the planning team to conduct a study to see whether the model would work in Philadelphia. The team completed its work late last month.

"The planning team made every effort to overcome obstacles to a fall start-up," the executive summary of the report said. "Nevertheless, the team concluded that it would be impossible, in the few months remaining until the fall of 2010, to build the quality Cristo Rey school that parents and students deserve."

McConnell acknowledged that the delay would cause the new school to lose current North Catholic students.

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, the religious order that staffs North Catholic, has agreed to sponsor the new school and will lead the next phase of the work.

Although the planning group held information sessions for North Catholic students and their families, the group had encouraged students to have alternate plans for September in case the new school was not ready.

North Catholic has 551 students this academic year. The enrollment has dropped by 29 percent in the last decade, and the archdiocese projected it would fall an additional 24 percent in the next three years.