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Aurora, Elgin Catholic schools may consolidate

Citing declining enrollment, but not ready to close its Catholic schools in Aurora, Elgin and Rockford, the Diocese of Rockford is looking into consolidating resources among its 46 schools.

Throughout the diocese - which spans 11 counties across northern Illinois - enrollment is down about 600 students, or 4.6 percent, at 40 elementary schools and six high schools that educate nearly 13,000 students.

Enrollment decline is a result of fewer Catholics living in the region and an abundance of educational choices with good public, charter and private school alternatives, said Michael Kagan, superintendent of schools for the diocese.

"There's a lot more competition," he said adding, the population has become more transient. "Years ago, people would join a parish and just stay there."

Nearly 200 people attended a recent meeting at Aurora Central Catholic High School to review enrollment data and share feedback about the diocese's strategic plan for its schools and figure out next steps. Similar meetings are planned for Rockford in March and Elgin in April.

Four Aurora schools have been identified for such resource sharing because of their proximity, competition for the same demographic, condition of the schools and overall financial condition, officials said.

There are 336 empty seats combined at Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Peter, St. Joseph and St. Therese of Jesus schools in Aurora, which are operating at 60 percent capacity. Overall enrollment for the schools is 502 students. The strategic plans calls all diocesan schools to be at 85 percent capacity.

Even Catholic schools nationwide are struggling with declining enrollment.

"It certainly isn't (unique) in our area," said Penny Wiegert, Rockford Diocese spokeswoman. "We have less of a market share to pull from."

There are 105 parishes within the diocese.

Further declines in the population of school-age children are projected, she added.

Wiegert said officials are seeking creative ways to enhance the Catholic educational experience, such as through incorporating STEM education and new technologies.

"Does that mean we have to put programs together and share resources? What is the best thing for the parish community?" she said.

The goal is for schools to support themselves through tuition, fundraising and some financial help from their parishes. Officials say individual parishes shouldn't have to pay more than 30 percent of their income toward operating schools.

"Many of the parishes have gone far beyond that 30 percent, and some of them are supporting them to the point of indebtedness," Wiegert said.

Kagan emphasized diocesan officials are considering more of a consolidation rather than closing schools.

"The overall purpose of the strategic plan was to strengthen all of our schools, not just schools having enrollment issues right now," Kagan said. "We looked at academics, our whole Catholic identity, our finances and how are we managing our money, we looked at our facilities. This outlines kind of a blueprint for the next decade of Catholic education in our diocese.

"We want to blend in a number of schools together and take their strengths and build something new and better."

Yet, those decisions haven't been made. Officials still await parents' and community views at the sessions in Elgin and Rockford.

Kagan said the process of consolidating and restructuring schools could take three to five years.

"We are open to all kinds of different options and ideas, but we want people to be realistic too about what we have to do to strengthen our schools going forward," he said. "We don't want to sit back and do nothing, and yet we don't want to move too quickly and make the wrong decision."

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