Holy Cross High School To Consolidate At Dunmore Campus
 

Holy Cross High School will consolidate at the Dunmore campus for the 2008-09 school year, it was announced today by the Diocese of Scranton.

The decision was made after an extensive review of various options with the goal of providing the best and most feasible educational experience for students, according to Joseph Casciano, Diocesan Secretary for Catholic Education and Superintendent of Schools.

“Consolidation at one campus is a necessary step to develop a cohesive, unified educational environment for our students,” he said.

Holy Cross, which consists of the former Bishop Hannan High School in Scranton and the former Bishop O’Hara High School in Dunmore, was formed last fall when all Diocesan Catholic schools were reorganized into four regional systems. For this school year, Holy Cross operated at both the Scranton and Dunmore sites, with all freshmen located in Dunmore and sophomores, juniors and seniors remaining at their respective campuses in Dunmore and Scranton.

“This was a transitional year as we moved into the new system, and it enabled us to explore our options for the future,” Mr. Casciano said. “I think everyone recognized that we could not continue to operate two campuses.”

He noted that many parents have informed James Marcks, Holy Cross principal, that they would prefer the classes to be together rather than at separate sites.

The Dunmore campus was chosen because it offers more parking, land for current and future needs, access to other parts of the county through nearby highways, and it can accommodate all of the students.

The current Holy Cross enrollment is 560 students. Enrollment for next year is approximately 400, with 125 students registered for the incoming freshman class and a number of other families yet to confirm. Registration will continue until June 3. By that date, returning students must satisfy their obligations for current tuition, fees and fundraising in order to be registered for next year.

Final enrollment will determine whether any significant modifications will be needed at the Dunmore campus, including the addition of modular structures that would provide additional classroom space. The Diocese has contacted Dunmore Borough about this possibility.

Mr. Marcks has discussed the consolidation with faculty. Parents of returning students and incoming freshmen were sent a letter about the decision.

The consolidation could result in a staff reduction. As always, final enrollment will determine the number of teachers that will be needed. In addition, the courses selected by students will also affect the number of teachers needed in particular subject areas. Course selection is still in progress.

As in the past, teaching positions will be filled according to the following criteria: 

• Seniority based on years of continuous service in the Diocese of Scranton. Seniority will apply to positions in a given geographical system (not across systems), within secondary category grades 9-12 and elementary category grades K-8, and within specific fields of competence.
   
• Religion Certification: all teachers have six years from their date of hire to complete six required theological courses offered by the Diocesan Pastoral Formation Institute.
   
• State Certification: permanent certification (LEVEL II certificate) is required after three years of successful teaching (the state may extend this period to six years) in a particular subject area, along with completion of specific coursework required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
   
• Pastor’s Letter confirming that the teacher is a practicing Catholic and in full communion with the Church. If not Catholic, the teacher must have a letter from the appropriate representative of his/her faith tradition. (This policy has been in effect for many years. All current teachers have obtained their letter; any new hires will need a letter.)

Some teachers are also considering their option for early retirement, and their decisions will impact faculty staffing. All teachers will be notified about their employment status before the current school year ends.

The Diocese will explore options for use of the Scranton campus on Wyoming Avenue, which is contiguous to the Diocesan administrative offices in the Chancery Building and the Guild Building.

The decision to consolidate Holy Cross at the Dunmore campus was made after it was determined that other options were not feasible or cost prohibitive at this time. Those options included:

·         Building a new school to accommodate 600 students. After consulting with the Pennsylvania Department of Education regarding specifications and requirements, the cost was estimated to be $35 million. Potential sites were not identified.

·         Total renovation of the Dunmore campus, including the classrooms, laboratories, auditorium and gymnasium, as well as possible additions to the building, was estimated to cost $27 million.

·         A scaled-back renovation to the Dunmore campus would cost an estimated $7 million.

·         Expansion of the Scranton campus, without any renovations to the existing building, would cost an estimated $20 million.

The Diocesan Finance Council and the Holy Cross Regional System board reviewed these options and raised questions about the feasibility of undertaking such large-scale projects at this time, given the precarious status of the Diocesan budget and the need for a significant financial commitment from the local community. Another factor is resources that will be needed in the other three school systems.

“The consensus was that, with the current state of the economy, we could not expect the kind of financial support that would be needed,” Mr. Casciano said. “These other options have not been ruled out entirely for the future, but for now the consolidation is definitely the most viable course.”