Parents fighting for Catholic Central

Across the street from the school they love, Catholic Central Elementary, parents, parishioners and neighbors crafted a plan to defend it. The Tuesday night meeting drew around 100 people who want to see the downtown Appleton elementary school stay open.

"St. Mary this year is celebrating its 150th anniversary. It was the first Catholic church in Appleton and that school has been part of our history for almost the entire time," meeting organizer Anne Higgins said.

Higgins wants to preserve that history, but also maintain a strong Catholic school system. She believes Catholic Central and St. Mary families have a proposal that will do both.

The elementary school is slated to close next year. ACES Xavier system president Tony Abts says the move will trim costs and address a projected $300,000 deficit, while still offering the programs and classes families expect.

"To maintain the quality of the education we're providing to our students but adjust for the fact that we have fewer students today than we had four or five years ago," Abts said.

The ACES Xavier corporate board, including Bishop David Ricken, the pastors of the eight Appleton parishes, among others, made the decision Nov. 3. But in the last week, ideas for an alternative from Catholic Central and St. Mary families reached Ricken. He encouraged them to draft a proposal and present that to the Board of Trustees.

"It's not based on hope and a prayer, even though there's a lot of prayer involved," Higgins said. "It really is about taking good information and saying if we work with this we can turn it around."

The four-fold plan to increase enrollment while remaining in the black, includes fundraising, an adopt-a-student program, school promotion and an on-site daycare, where participants could eventually become students. A Catholic Central committee has secured donations of more than $100,000 in the last week, one third of the system's projected deficit.

In his years as president, Abts says the board has not overturned a prior decision. Though it could happen, he says the consolidation was well researched and thought out.

"I'm not surprised that this is happening because we love our schools," Abts said. "In fact, I'm proud of the dedication and commitment that these families have shown."

The results of that dedication remain to be seen. Catholic Central families will bring their proposal to the Board of Trustees Dec. 1.