Parents, Alumni and Parishioners have begun receiving lettersfrom Aux. Bishop Caggiano (pictured) as per his personal assurance
to James Flanagan, the Principal of Saint Saviour's Elementary School in Park Slope, whose contract is not being renewed by the Parish priest, Father Murphy.
Aux. Bishop Caggiano's response to the Saint Saviour's parent's letters was appreciated and consistent with both his promise to Mr. Flanagan and his
previous assurances that it was his intention to keep all parents informed about
what was happening at the school.
Parents noted that Aux. Bishop Caggiano's responsiveness is in stark contrast to Father Murphy who has still
not formally advised any of the parents of his decision not to renew Mr.
Flanagan's contract and who stated on Channel 12 News
that the parents have no say on what goes on in their
school,
strategic planning process for the Diocese of Brooklyn on how to preserve
the vision of Catholic elementary education within the diocese. Despite
his direct involvement in shaping the future of those schools, Aux.
Bishop Caggiano can only provide guidance
to Mr. Flanagan and has no decision making power.
Aux. Bishop Caggiano has publicly advised several
parents of Saint Saviour's that they should just keep doing what they are
doing and keep the enrollment up. As Vicar General, Aux. Bishop Caggiano has no say over what happens in the
individual Parishes of the Diocese.
Flanagan and Saint Saviour's Elementary School rests solely in the hands of
Bishop DiMarzio, who as Bishop for the Diocese has full control over
all of his Parishes.
The parents are hopeful that Bishop DiMarzio will review this situation and ensure
that Mr. Flanagan is offered a new contract,
I graduated from saint saviour several years ago and I am now a graduate of saint saviour highschool.there is no way that s.s.e.s should raise tuition because my highschool tuition was just raised to 7000 and we have gym,clubs,cafeteria,chem lab,new computers and a way bigger school.most of my teachers are also professors in prestigous colleges its an advanced environment.s.s.e.s is not an advanced school the kids that graduate from 8th grade have a high sucess rate due to the amount of discipline the teachers enforce and the “private school environment” thats it!! ive been to several different elementary schools around the world and s.s.e.s is lacking alot however the only people who will know this information and all the details about this school are the CULTURED OLDER kids that attend and spend their years there.I still keep in contact with several teachers there that really made an impact on me and my education so for that I am thankful.change is good mr.flanagan has never really made an impact on me or any students like the faculty and staff has. hopefully a new leader or even mrs.harvey can come in and make ALOT of much needed improvements.
Linda. I will assume you are not from Holy Child Jesus as they would not agree with your opinion.
If Fr. Murphy made a decision to not renew James Flanagan’s contract, he had good cause. I’ve known him for over twenty years and each parish that he was pastor of has been greatly improved by his being there, spiritually, financially and aesthetically. Give the man a chance and some respect.
Maggie… Don’t write if you don’t know the story! I honestly can’t believe that through prayer Mr. Murphy recieved guidance through the Holy Spirit to not renew Mr. Flanagan’s contract. Msgr. J. P. Nagle, which for the record did a much better job at running the parish Mr. Murphy can ever do, didn’t have any issue with Mr. Flanagan. Makes you think why Mr. Murphy does… Ironically, Mr. Murphy wrote in his bulletin all these significant people left the parish to do better… Maybe HE WAS THE CAUSE!
http://saintsaviourchurch.org/PDF_Bulletins/06_03_07.pdf
copy and paste the link above
Innocent Bystander. There is no strong difference of opinion of how much tuition is required to keep the school viable. Saint Saviour’s has been and continues to be viable. The Diocese has listed the cost per pupil operating costs for Saint Saviour’s at $5,100. Through the tuition, fund drives and donations the school has always reached its operating expenses with a surplus. The issue on tuition here is whether it is appropriate for the tuition to be increased solely so that the Parish can take the money that is raised by the School through fund drives and donations since the increased tuition will cover the operating expenses. Many of us who would struggle to pay $5,100 per student simply do not believe the school should be used as a money maker for the Parish so that more new kitchens can be built. As I indicated earlier, I hope you do send your children to Saint Saviour’s as I sense you will be a very involved parent, will be active in our fund raising activities and will help make our school even more amazing.
I realize the school is self sustaining but I wonder exactly what the operating expenses are. We looked at another parochial school in lower Manhattan where tuition is close to $7000 a year, so we were surprised that St Saviour’s is so low in comparison. Obviously there is a lot that has gone on and continues to go on behind the scenes but there also does seem to be a strong difference on opinion as to how much tuition is required to keep the school viable. And, for what it’s worth, I did not advocate for raising tuition to $10k. I was merely musing that it came as a surprise to us that tuition was not closer to $10k. I’m not sure how having a needs assessment is such a terrible thing. Call it a sliding scale. I am certain that there ARE many like us who could certainly manage to pay more than $4k per year per child. Which is not to say that we have money to burn because we certainly do not. But I could not in good conscience claim that it would be as much of a struggle for us as it would be for a single parent on a modest income whose only other option is an under peforming public school.
Innocent bystander. As you note, Saint Saviour’s has a solid academic reputation, is diverse and takes no money from the Parish. Instead, through fund raisers and donations, the School is able to meet and exceed its operating costs. I would beg to differ that $4,000 a year is absurdly low to many of the parents of Saint Saviour’s who, like you will have multiple children in school. But I have to ask, why would there be a need for a dramatic tuition increase for anyone? Should the school be considered as a source for income for the Parish or should it be what it is, a financially sound School that is accessible to most and whose academic reputation is beyond reproach. I hope your children do join my children at the school as I can personally attest to just how amazing a school Saint Saviour’s is.
Speaking to the point that innocent bystander makes about raising the tuition to $10,000 per year, I’d have to point out that the school is not draining church funds presently. So the high quality education, strong religious instruction and relative affordability (most of us don’t live in tony Park Slope, and struggle to pay for multiple kids in the school) create a perfect model for what I would imagine our Bishops and even Pope Benedict XVI would wish for all the Catholic Schools. Its a resounding success on all fronts!
Innocent Bystander – go to the web site of the Diocese for a breakdown of the tuition of every school in Diocese, you’ll see St. Saviour is one of the most expensive. As for means testing the school tuition, that is really more for Packer and Friends types schools. More importantly, the school is financially independent, so why would you suggest a solution that would eliminate some of our poorer parents? This is a Christian enviornment remember. As you think that $4,000 per child is “absurdly low” perhaps your financial situation should put you more in the “Packer” range, or if you want a Catholic education try Marymount on 5th Avenue in Manhattan for about $20,000 per child for girls, or one of the Catholic Jesuit schools for boys. We don’t have a large gym, a pool, air conditioning, a cafeteria or most of the things you see in private schools, or even most public schools – that’s why it is run so lean. What we have is a lot of is God’s love.
We have been considering the school for our children so it was interesting to stumble across this story. What struck us is that for a school that is not financially dependant on the parish, the tuition is absurdly low. Granted, one of the things we like about the school, apart from its solid academic reputation, is the diversity. It seems the crux of the dispute centers on one side wanting to raise tuition and the other side wanting it to remain affordable for all. While that is certainly laudable, surely there is a better solution. Maintain 25% of the spots for lower income families at current tuition levels (allowing for very modest annual increases) and raising it appropriately for those who can afford to pay more. I’m surprised tuition isn’t at least $10,000 a year. But what is the tuition now? $4k a year? Don’t you think many families can afford to pay quite a bit more than the current fees? I’d love to have our kids go there at a bargain basement price but I’m not sure that ultimately that’s in the best interest of the school.
Gloria, am I correct in assuming that your oldest son probably got into a very good High School and is well on his way to graduating from college right now? Is he another Saint Saviour’s success story?
Gloria – you did not describe “Preserving the Vision” correctly, and I would argue you echoed Fr. Murphy’s opportunistic use of the term without regard to what it actually is. “Preserving the Vision” entails financial independence and non-parish control. Specifically, it calls for schools to become “Academies” where the parish has no control, and people like Fr. Murphy who do not step foot in the school can no longer make decisions. Simply look it up on the Diocese website if you care. As you applaud Fr. Murphy, you do understand that he could not even deny that he has not been in the school for two years, and maybe has been to it 3 times in 4 years. I have talked to over 10 teachers, and the assistant principal (who didn’t even get interviewed by Fr. Murphy) and they confirm this. Every parent knows this. Go ahead, ask Father yourself. St. Saviours already is ready to be an academy. Also, my kids were in school in 2002, and Flanagan was talking about preparing for the centennial which was over 2 years away at the time. But since you think Fr. Murphy cares about the school, I must question your recollection of that conversation.
My oldest son graduated from St. Saviour in 2002. Mr. Flanagan had told parents at that time he would be retiring within a year. What is he talking about now, it’s 2009 and he wants another year-what game is he trying to play? His contract should have been terminated years ago.
I applaud Father Murphy for his strength during this time of crisis caused by this small group of parents. The protestors are supporting the decay of St. Saviour School by demanding the return of an ineffective leader. “Perserving the Vision” represents the necessary modifications which need to be utilized in order for the system to survive.
My son went to St. Saviour and personally I felt that Mr. Flannigan should have been let go years ago. I am so glad to hear that his contract is not being renewed.
My son went to St. Saviour and personally I felt that Mr. Flannigan should have been let go years ago. I am so glad to hear that his contract is not being renewed.
I know nothing about the outgoing principal of St. Savior School. But I know Father Murphy, and if he made a decision not to renew the contract of this principal, it wasn’t casual. I am positive that Fr. Murphy prayed fervently for guidance in the matter. I believe that; I believe in him.