Families at St. Hubert School in Hoffman Estates appeal to Cardinal Cupich to keep it open

A coalition of parents and other allies at St. Hubert Catholic School in Hoffman Estates have formally asked that Cardinal Blase Cupich reconsider plans to close the 65-year-old institution this summer.

Representatives of the group say the request, known as a remonstratio, follows Roman Catholic canon law in providing the right of concerned parties to make such a request of Cupich or even the Vatican.

Though the request was shared with the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Catholic Schools, which last month made the decision to close the school, Cupich is the intended recipient, parent Jillian Bernas Garcia said.

An independent review demonstrated the closure isn’t financially necessary, she said. Recent records show the school could operate for more than five years with its current deficit and generate a positive cash flow within two years through a 10% reduction in salaries, according to Bernas Garcia.

“This is a scenario that doesn’t need to happen,” she said of the planned closing.

The archdiocese didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Scott McDonald, director of communications and marketing for the Office of Catholic Schools, addressed the recent crop of closure announcements of which St. Hubert was a part.

“To school closings more generally, I can say that these decisions were made with heavy hearts after months of discussions with each school,” McDonald said. “We know the importance of these schools in each community. Unfortunately, the enrollment of each school is too low, and the ongoing deficits are too high.”

Bernas Garcia and others interested in saving the school say transparency from the archdiocese has been lacking.

“The evidence is clear,” she said. “St. Hubert is viable; the decision to close is a choice. Does the archdiocese value saving dollars over saving schools and souls? An independent review shows we can do both, it is not a binary choice.”

“Everyone from the Archdiocese down to the pastor expressed how heavy their hearts were closing the school,” St. Hubert alumna, parent and parishioner Julie Chirinos said in a statement. “We are glad to report that it does not need to close, there is a clear path forward.”

Michael Kennedy, a young graduate who set up a GoFundMe online fundraiser for the school, said Cupich has 30 days to reverse the decision.

“We have 30 days to show him how much our school means to us by rallying our support through the established GoFundMe page,” he said.

As of Tuesday, the campaign had raised $18,446 toward a goal of $500,000.

Bernas Garcia said the school began the current academic year with its debt eliminated by the archdiocese and a goal of raising $302,500 by the end of the year. But it’s unclear whether that goal was changed or how much progress toward it was achieved, she added.

The academic excellence at St. Hubert since the 1960s makes the fight to keep it open worth it, Bernas Garcia said.

“You don’t just let something like that go for a couple hundred thousand dollars,” she said. “We feel like we’re being manipulated and we’re confused. We also feel that the parishioners are not being respected. They need to be aware their legacy is being dismantled.”

Michelle Flowers, another parent, parishioner and alumna, agreed in a statement.

“St. Hubert has a strong future committed to developing critical thinking skills crucial for the well-being of our children in this modern society,” she said. “It needs to remain a mission of the parish.”