As 49 Catholic high schools and elementary schools are slated for closure throughout the Philadelphia area this year, school administrators are being faced with difficult decisions.
Brother Timothy Ahern — the president of West Philadelphia Catholic High School and a graduate from the high school — resigned from his position on Feb. 6. West Philadelphia Catholic was one of the schools scheduled to close.
Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools Thomas Rooney will serve as the Acting President for the remainder of the school year.
“My job is to see the school to the end,” Rooney said. “I have a sensitivity to the situation.”
At the time of the school’s closing announcements in January, Ahern did not appeal the decision.
“Unfortunately, that decision created an untenable atmosphere for Brother Tim within the school,” Rochford said in a press release on Feb. 6.
Last month, Philadelphia Archdiocese superintendent Mary Rochford and the Blue Ribbon Commission targeted West Philadelphia Catholic High School — lcoated at 45th and Chestnut streets — for closure.
According to Rooney, the closings are due to increased costs, coupled with a decrease in student enrollment. Since 1961, enrollment for the Catholic schools has dropped by 72 percent. For West Philadelphia Catholic, current enrollment is less than half of the enrollment 15 years ago. The rate of decline has accelerated more quickly over the past three years.
The Archdiocese’s decision to close the school has sparked controversy among the community. On Jan. 9, upon first hearing the news of the school’s eventual closing, students from West Philadelphia Catholic gathered in a rally against the school’s closure.
The current enrollment of the school, which was founded in 1916, is 360 students, which fills only 27.7 percent of the school’s capacity.
As families anticipate the school’s closing, students are being forced to enroll at other high schools in the area, including Neumann Goretti High School and Bishop McDevitt High School. These schools are located anywhere from 2.8 to 12.1 miles from West Philadelphia Catholic.
“The closing is very sad,” Rooney said. “The school has a long history.”
College junior Haftom Khasai, who graduated from West Philadelphia Catholic in 2009, supports Ahern’s decision to resign.
“Honestly, I can’t blame him,” Khasai said. “I knew him personally. He was amazing.”
According to Khasai, Ahern was most remembered for his love of history, a love students recognized by Ahern’s wood-panelled office and old-fashioned globe.
“He was a nice guy. He really cared about the school. It’s heartbreaking for the students. I don’t think people fully grasp that,” Khasai added. “It’s really engrained that the high school was a second family.”
Related
Philadelphia Catholic school closings reflect historical trends
Debate surrounds Catholic School closures
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