Diocese of Pittsburgh Upholds Decision to Merge Saint Philip and Saint Margaret Schools

Implementation Committees Working to Support Families

Today the Diocese of Pittsburgh informed those who filed a formal appeal of a decision to merge Saint Philip and Saint Margaret schools that their appeal has been denied.

In a letter of response, Father Thomas Kunz, Vicar for Canonical Services, clarified some errors of fact represented in the formal appeal, dated February 22, 2021:
 

1. Saint Philip School is not a program of Saint Philip Parish and has not been since its inclusion in the South Regional Catholic Elementary Schools, Inc. on July 1, 2020.
2. Saint Philip School is not a juridic person in canon law and therefore is not subject to any rights in canon law.
3. Bishop Zubik has approved the merger of Saint Philip School with Saint Margaret School and not its closure.

On February 12, 2021, the diocese announced that four elementary schools will merge for the 2021-2022 school year. Bishop Zubik made the decisions based on recommendations from South Regional Catholic Elementary Schools (SRCES) leaders.
 

• Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin (Whitehall) and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary schools (Pleasant Hills) will merge, with the use of the Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin campus as the main site of the newly merged school.
• Saint Margaret of Scotland (Green Tree) and Saint Philip schools (Crafton) will merge, with the newly merged school to be located at the Saint Margaret of Scotland campus. 

The announcement explained that the recommendations were made after more than a year of careful study of financial and demographic data, student enrollment trends, and consultation with representatives of the parish and school communities in determining the best possible way to continue to provide a Catholic school education for the children in the south region.  
    
A “Questions and Answers” document was distributed to all school families and parishioners involved in the mergers explaining the reasons for the decisions.  For decades, all schools across the United States have been adjusting their organizational models to adapt to societal and economic changes. In the Diocese of Pittsburgh, over the past 50 years, the regional population has dropped by about 30%.  Student population in all schools – public, private and Catholic – has reflected this trend. 

These two mergers reflect the efforts of the new regional governing board to keep Catholic schools affordable and accessible.  Funding for elementary schools operations is supported by tuition collection, fund raising and subsidies provided by parishes.  With the increased costs of operating Catholic schools and parishes facing their own financial challenges, regionalization is necessary to help respond to these financial challenges and to take necessary strategic steps to improve the sustainability of Catholic elementary education.  With regional governance, all of the parishes in a geographic region support Catholic school education and all have a voice in the mission of those schools. 

Immediately after the decision to merge Saint Margaret of Scotland and Saint Philip Schools as well as Saint Elizabeth of Hungary and Saint Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin Schools, implementation committees of parents and regional staff were formed. They have been working in earnest to bring school families together. 

“The sense of loss, and even anger, that some people are experiencing over these necessary decisions reflects their deep love for their school, and they are in my prayers,” Bishop David Zubik said.  “However, it’s also important to recognize and thank the many others who have come together in support of the newly merged schools and Catholic education.  All of us – at all times, and especially during this holy season of Lent – should strive to be like Jesus in how we choose to deal with difficulties and disappointments.”

“Please continue to join me in prayer for our school communities,” Bishop Zubik said. “For the sake of a strong future for Catholic education in the diocese, all of us need to come together to support the academic and spiritual development of our children.”