Because of COVID-19, the Diocese of Buffalo is looking to re-envision the Catholic Church of Western New York, leaving the future of small schools like Northern Chautauqua Catholic in Dunkirk hanging in the balance.
- The Diocese of Buffalo looks to re-envision the Church in WNY
- Diocese is cutting subsidy to Catholic Schools
- Northern Chautauqua Catholic to lose thousands in funding
What You Need To Know
"We were growing when this COVID shutdown hit. We were growing in spite of the Diocese bankruptcy," said Andrew Ludwig, Northern Chautauqua Catholic School principal.
Andrew Ludwig has been the principal School for about 18 months.
He says the school has weathered past financial storms thanks to support from educational leaders, community members and the Diocese.
"We would have had to close a couple years ago but we've been able to rebound here and we were on a real uptick," said Ludwig.
That rebound comes at a time when Catholic schools across the eight-county Diocese face further funding cuts after Buffalo's Apostolic Administrator Bishop Edward Scharfenberger recently released an initiative to re-envision the Church.
Plus, with no public masses and weekly collections sharply down, the Diocese said it will not be in a position to continue the subsidy provided to Catholic schools given the current environment.
That subsidy, or tax, is part of a parish's weekly collection that gets sent to the Diocese and redistributed among the Catholic schools.
Ludwig says that's a quarterly loss of $36,000 this year and $125,000 next year.
"I'm not going to lie to you, this finance cut from the Diocese is going to hurt. Really took the wind out of our sails, and had to take a step back, but we should be able to manage that," said Ludwig.
But for how long?
Ludwig says the school did get a loan from the Small Business Administration, yet can only count on that, donations and grants for so long.
"We're determined to stay open. If the Diocese doesn't come through on the promise to restore some of this funding, you know our future is limited. We can only get so far on reserves we were able to build up," said Ludwig.
The principal's letter reads as follows:
"I would respectfully but stridently disagree with Governor Andrew Cuomo, Bill Gates or anyone else who might suggest that remote learning is an effective way to reimagine education. It has never been more apparent. There is no substitute for a willing student, in the classroom of a good teacher, at a fine school. Nowhere is that truth more certain than at Northern Chautauqua Catholic School.
NCCS’ teachers, staff, students, parents and families have done a remarkable job teaching, learning and working remotely ever since this Covid shutdown sent them all home to stay on March 16th. There have been google classroom assignments, zoom classes, zoom meetings, virtual field trips and parades. The outreach continues. Quality instruction and learning is still taking place. Although our school family has done a commendable job managing this most difficult at home learning situation, praying together, playing together, learning together, working together and growing together is an onsite, face to face and in person endeavor.
Currently a one size fits all blanket approach has kept all New York schools shuttered until at least September. School closure decisions and now reopening decisions have seemingly been made based on the enrollment numbers of large city school districts like New York, Buffalo and Albany. One has to wonder, if the governor and his decision makers know that a small and special school like NCCS even exists? It’s time to welcome our students back to school, if not for summer classes and tutoring, then at least for onsite classes in September. A small school like NCCS will certainly be able to provide a contagion safe face to face learning environment for our students. Northern Chautauqua Catholic School will soon be ready for small summer events and a September 8th onsite reopening for the 20-21 school year.
Without the support of the Diocese, our school families and generous benefactors and without the tireless efforts of our Board of Trustees, Northern Chautauqua Catholic School would have closed two years ago. Catholic Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Michael LaFever has been instrumental in NCCS’ rebirth and resurgence. The NCCS family continues to be grateful for the lifesaving support of so many. Most recently, the Trustees have managed NCCS’ finances extremely well. Our school is poised to survive the economic crisis caused by the pandemic shutdown but the subsidy cut recently announced by the Diocese of Buffalo really hurts.
Given the Diocese’s continuing financial struggles, Bishop Scharfenberger’s desire to reorganize Western New York Parishes and Catholic Schools is understandable and necessary. One has to wonder though, if cutting 100% of Diocesan Catholic School funding was the last and only cost saving option available? The future of the Catholic faith lies in Catholic Education and Catholic Schools. At some point, an investment must be made in the future.
In the press release, made at a questionable late hour and on the Friday afternoon before a long holiday weekend, the Bishop promised that, after the Diocese’s reorganization, the church will not relinquish its’ “greater obligation to promote a culture that truly reflects Christ’s Gospel of love, caring and relentless service to young and old alike.” When regular masses resume and the Diocese is once again receiving regular offerings and assessments, schools like Northern Chautauqua Catholic will be counting on the Bishop to keep his promise and resume the funding of Catholic Schools. Our future and the future of our faith depend on it."