It’s a statement Art Gerckens hears on the playing field. Linda Coppola hears it on line at the deli.
Isn’t St. Mary-St. Michael’s closing?
NO!
St. Mary-St. Michael’s on Seymour Avenue in Derby has survived the toughest year in its history.
Last year, parish leaders seriously considered closing the pre‑k through 8 school after years of declining enrollment.
School parents rallied, literally, and formed a task force to keep the school alive. The parents submitted a financial plan to the Archdiocese, allowing the school to remain open.
A year later, the school is in a much better place, said Gerckens, a parent from Derby who helped rally other parents — but it hasn’t been easy.
“Last year there were people angry. There were protests. There were families leaving the school. Now it’s more relaxed. There’s still pressure to keep it going, but the school is in a far better place now than it has been in years,” Gerckens said.
The school lost a big chunk of its students last year, as many parents didn’t want to take a gamble during the uncertain times of last spring. On June 8, just four eighth graders graduated from the school, down from about 20 the year prior.
“There was an exodus and it hurt us,” said principal Linda Coppola.
Coppola, the former principal at the Bradley School in Derby, retired from the public school system to take the principal’s job at St. Mary-St. MIchael’s.
She took the reigns last July, a major step forward in the plan to turn things around, Gerckens said.
“We had to show that we weren’t going anywhere. We wouldn’t have recruited and hired a principal if we were planning to close,” Gerckens said. “It was a no brainer when Mrs. Coppola expressed interest in the job. We had interviewed a full candidates, but as soon as her name came up it was pretty much a done deal.”
The school opened a pre‑k program, in addition to its already in place full-day kindergarten program.
The pre‑k program had 12 students this year. Next year the plan is to expand it to 20 students.
This year’s kindergarten class had seven students. As of early June, 14 students were enrolled for the upcoming school year. More are expected as the first day of school draws near.
Coppola has started to make changes to the curriculum, with an emphasis on technology education. The school has preliminary plans to hire a technology teacher next year.
Meanwhile, parents have been busy organizing events to raise money to keep the school in solid financial shape.
There are weekly bingo games at the school. There was an alumni recognition dinner. There was a golf tournament.
Parents hoped to raise $15,000 this year from alumni. They hit their goal.
It’s all part of an effort to bring St. Mary-St. Michael’s back into the Derby community.
The school, for whatever reason, was a closed institution prior to last year — many parishioners weren’t in the loop about school activities.
Coppola, a graduate of St. Mary’s (the two schools merged into one in 1988), now writes a weekly column in the St. Mary’s parish newsletter.
“There was a communication problem. But once the community found out what was happening, the support has been phenomenal. Not only from the church and the parishioners, but from the community at large,” Gerkens said.
The community support manifests itself through donations. Example — the school purchased three “Smart Boards” this year thanks to donations.
“We felt that we needed to get the message out. We wanted to communicate to the parish and the community that we are strong, vibrant and moving forward,” Coppola said.
School officials have also been busy snagging grants.
“We’ve received several technology grants, we started a drama club thanks to a grant from the Valley Community Foundation and the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven,” Coppola said.
There were 60 students when Coppola took over last July. There were 89 at the close of this school year. They plan to break 100 in September.
The seventh and eighth grade classes were combined this year — and they will be next year, too, as the school continues to transition. However, school officials said last year will be the last time they’ll combine grades.
And, while other Catholic schools are closing or merging, Coppola and Gerkens said the Archdiocese have sent positive signals.
“I think the phrase from the Archdiocese was “No red flags and we’re on nobody’s radar,” Gerckens said.
At the moment the biggest challenge is convincing the community at-large that the school will stay open.
“We knew that this was going to be the most difficult year in the history of the school. There’s no way around it. But the year is over — and we survived it,” Gerckens said.
