Toledo- February 15, 2008 - Bishop Leonard Blair announced today that he has accepted a recommendation made to him by the Central City Ministry of Toledo School (CCMT) Board to close two of its four campuses this June, signaling a new direction for the school with the 2008-2009 school year.

The Pope John Paul II campus located at Saint Adalbert Parish, and St. Charles Borromeo campus located at St. Charles Parish will close, leaving the Rosary Cathedral and Queen of Apostles campuses as the remaining CCMT school campuses. Advantages to the reorganization included enhanced curriculum, academic intervention, expansion of technology, and a renewed commitment to the central city ministry.

According to Bishop Blair, “this reconfiguration of the CCMT School will put the remaining campuses on a more stable financial base, and so make it possible for us to move forward with stronger reading and math programs, more professional development opportunities for teachers, and additional academic and counseling services to assist those students who come to us academically at-risk.”  Bishop Blair added that  “a decision such as this is never easy for anyone, and every effort will be made to at least ease the effects of these two campus closings on students and their families, and on teachers and school personnel.”

In a letter to all CCMT School families, Jack Altenburger, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Toledo diocese wrote that “declining enrollment due to populations shifts from city to suburbs, rising tuition costs and increased financial difficulties have been major challenges for these schools.”

Faculty and staff of all four campuses were notified of the changes today. 82 staff positions are affected, and 314 students are affected, 170 at the Pope John Paul II campus, and 144 at the Saint Charles campus. All students will have the opportunity to enroll at another Catholic school.

The Diocese of Toledo is not alone in dealing with the closures of Catholic schools. According to a February 12, 2008 news story on National Public Radio, more than 1000 Catholic schools in the United States have closed over the last eight years because they can’t afford to stay open. According to the same story, half of the Archdiocese of Washington DC’s 28 Catholic schools are in serious financial trouble.

According to the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA)’s Annual Statistical Report on Schools, Enrollment and Staffing for United States Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools 2006-2007 – data  show that the Mideast and Great Lakes regions enroll about half the Catholic school population (49.8%). This percentage does indicate a decline from 54.0% over the past decade.  The Southeast and West/Far West regions have continued to experience increases in that same time period, growing from 30.4% to 34.2%.

The same study from 2006-2007, reported that 1,210 secondary and 36 new schools opened; 212 consolidated or closed. And 2,607 schools have a waiting list for admission.

The CCMT School believes all children should have the opportunity to learn in a safe and supportive environment regardless of where they live and their economic situation.  It is with this strong sense of mission and ministry that CCMT continues to work to provide these opportunities for all.