Money strains forcing St. Raphael School closing

St. Raphael Church and School

• School Established: 2007
• Accreditation: Arkansas Non-Public School Accrediting Association (2012)
• School Staff: 17, including seven teachers. (Two teachers and four aides will be retained to operate the preschool)
• Tuition: $3,290 for Catholic students and $4,370 for non-Catholic students (first child) Discounts were provided for two and three children.
• Percentage of Catholic children in school: 99
• Number of students in parish religious education: 1,600
• Number of parishioners at average weekend English Masses: 867 (22 percent of households)
• Number of parishioners at average weekend Spanish Masses: 3,039 (78 percent of households)

Low enrollment and reduced financial support have caused the Diocese of Little Rock’s newest school to close.

Located in the diocese’s largest parish, St. Raphael School in Springdale opened in 2007 with a kindergarten through third grade. Other grades were added until the school taught children through seventh grade.

The church announced March 8 that the elementary school will stay open until May 24, but it will still continue to educate 3- and 4- year-old children in its preschool. Beginning in summer 2014 the church will also operate a summer care program for elementary students.

Karen LaMendola, its only principal, was hired in 2006 to open the school. The parish got its start with children’s education in 2004 by offering a preschool for 3 and 4 years olds. The school is located in the parish’s educational wing and old church and used the parish’s multipurpose room for its cafeteria and gymnasium. A separate school building was never constructed.

Pastor Father John Connell and LaMendola made the decision after consulting with superintendent Vernell Bowen and Bishop Anthony B. Taylor. The bishop OK’d the school closing in a letter dated March 2 after Father Connell sought his permission.

When the school opened its doors it had 74 students enrolled but could have served up to 125 students. From 2008 to 2011 enrollment grew to 130 students as more grades were added. Enrollment dropped 16 percent from 2011 to 2012.

Today the school has 73 students in kindergarten to seventh grades. The preschool enrollment is 36 students.

LaMendola made personal phone calls and sent e-mails to the parents of the 28 children who had pre-registered in January and February for the 2013-2014 school year.

“The families were sad,” she said. “They understood we were a school that was always struggling with finances. Their kids love the school. … We are a family here. If one person is hurting, we are all hurting.”

LaMendola said her proudest accomplishment was the “culture of love” that was fostered in the school.

“I am so proud of the love the children show each other,” she said, “and the love the families show toward each other. There is that culture of love here. Everyone wants to take care of everyone else. I am really proud of that because it is not easy when you have different groups coming together. The common goal of making sure our children were in a loving, caring, Catholic environment was our mission.”

When the diocese OK’d opening the school, it was believed that St. Raphael could become a “feeder” school along with St. Vincent de Paul School in Rogers and St. Joseph School in Fayetteville and serve a possible Catholic high school in the future for the region. Bowen said the diocese is not pursuing opening a regional high school right now.

Fewer students have been able to pay the full tuition, LaMendola said. Fifty-eight percent of the 73 elementary students received financial assistance, which is the same percentage of minorities in the school.

“I pinpoint it on what I see with all the schools right now is the lack of scholarships for need-based students,” Bowen said of the closing. “I am not seeing it only in that particular school but in a lot of the schools. The principals have told me they have had more applications this year than they have had for scholarships in the past… In particular in Springdale, I think the economy hit them hard. A lot of those families were depending on construction so when the recession hit up there they just don’t have the jobs for them.”

In a March 8 letter to parishioners and parents, Father Connell announced that the decision came after months of consultation.

“I am sad because I am a firm believer in Catholic education not simply because I am product of Catholic schools, but because I truly believe Catholics schools offer the best education for our children,” he wrote.

He said the parish could not afford to go into debt to serve such a small number of students when other parish meets have increased.

“With no increase in funding foreseen in the near future we can’t financially continue to go into debt and we are not able to make a balanced budget without sacrificing the excellence of the school,” he wrote.

To operate the school, the school spent its $100,000 in savings, the church subsidized the school another $100,000 and it was estimated that the school would incur at least $100,000 in debt next school year.

To address the deficit, the church will continue to take up its monthly school collection and three fundraisers will be held. The annual golf tournament will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, April 19 at Stonebridge Meadows Golf Course in Fayetteville. Snow cones will be sold after Masses and the World’s Biggest Garage Sale will be held Saturday, May 4 at the parish.

Father Connell’s letter ended by offering hope to those who started the school and supported it over the past six years.

“With every ending there is a beginning,” he wrote. “Although our school will close something good will come from it. It is no different than carrying the cross knowing the glory of the resurrection lies ahead.”