I know the neighborhood politicians will never do anything about it, so I thought I'd take a minute to talk about St. Ambrose School. Not sure if it's true, but I heard recently that only six students had registered for next Fall's Kindergarten class. It makes you wonder whether the neighborhood can support five Catholic grammar schools. Currently, we have St. Ambrose, Notre Dame, Trinity Catholic, OLV, and Our Lady of Discovery. I include the Discovery School because it is essentially a Catholic School minus the daily prayer rituals and Murphy's Oil Soap. When the politicians are all sending their kids there, you know it is not your typical public school. I don't see any of these snake oil salesmen sending their kids to Southside or School #27.
Let's face it, times are tough around here. Parents able to get a free education equivalent to a private education, jump at the chance. Then, you have the South Buffalo Charter School, which also takes students away from private schools like St. Ambrose, due to price (free) and proximity. There are also so many families who have fled the city due to better job opportunities out of state or for quality of life. My mother sits in her backyard and watches people walking by, smoking marijuana in public, littering on her property, and uttering obscenities. Then, the cars speed by going 85MPH with their speakers blaring. Not to sound like a prude, but it's no wonder so many people choose to move to the suburbs.
St. Ambrose is a very good school. I've met several students from there over the years and they are great, intelligent kids. I have to ask whether there is more at play here than just increased competition from other schools? Schools like St. Ambrose are going to have to be ahead of the curve in order to remain open. What can they offer prospective students that the other schools cannot? The simple answer is a Catholic education. However, people are fickle, and will jump ship if they think the grass is greener on the other side (of McKinley Parkway).
They have a great group of dedicated parents over at St. Ambrose. I see it in their sports programs. Unfortunately, their numbers are so low, it makes it difficult for them to compete against bigger schools like Notre Dame. I would be interested to hear from parents from St. Ambrose and elsewhere to understand what has really been taking place. I know the parents from the school have been trying to drum up support and hopefully, it will pay off with an increase in future enrollment. This post is not meant to deride any of the other schools in South Buffalo. I just hope St. Ambrose doesn't suffer the same fate as St. Agatha's, St. Thomas', and Holy Family. I think it can be saved if people work together and come up with innovative ideas.
I am a parent of a student at Ambrose Catholic and it is a shame that we are losing so many children. The kidergarten is at risk of being eliminated because we only have 6 students enrolled so far and need 15 to keep it open. What can we do? The other bad part of that is if the registered 6 children do not get in and have older sibliings in the school, they may leave to which will make matters worse. Please, please consider Catholic education!!
ReplyDeleteThe facts are, questions are not being answered and no one knows who is in charge. We've tried talking to the invisible board, Fr. Judge and Dr. Henry at the diocese and we just get the run around. The future Kindergarten parents want simply Maura Sheehan to teach their children and to keep their babies with older siblings. Instead of closing our Kindergarten why are they not spreading the wealth. We've received a letter stating they want all 3 campuses open. Well then cap off your Notre Dame K students and send them over to Ambrose. We are one school afterall, are we not?
ReplyDeleteTinity has a multi-aged Kindergarten, why can't Ambrose combine K and 1? 6 kids or 26 I want my child at Ambrose, this is just unfair, if the school is open we as parents should have this option of a small class!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should ask the advancement director why his children do not attend Catholic School.
ReplyDeleteLook no further than tuition for your answer. There is not alot of disposable income out there. I have 2 children at Notre Dame and it cost 5k per year for both not counting the numerous fund raisers and church donations. Oh wait i forgot money for uniforms, add it all up and throw in the taxes we pay and its about 8k per to send our kids to a private school. Then i have Mercy or Nardin to look foward to. By the time my kids are old enough to attend high school i'm hoping tuition will only be 10k per year. So add it up 2 kids at notre dame times 9 years at 5k per plus uniforms and fundraisers = 50k, then 2 kids times 20k per for high school= 80k. 130k for education before college??? how many people in the neighborhood can still afford that??????
ReplyDeleteI thought all 3 campuses were the same tuition I have 2 at Ambrose and am not paying 5K, let's not forget to mention the Bison fund and we can apply for the Fr. Stanton fund. As for fundraisers the only mandatory one is the montly lottery at $35 per month(which I sell to family and have won several times) Uniforms are cheaper than cloths since I only need 2 skirts and 3 shirts per week( really you don't even need that many) And my sister lives in West Seneca pays $6500 a year in taxes and yes her kids go to public school but she pays that for the rest of her life. So I'll take the school tuition and make some sacrifices so my children can get a great education along with morals,values and the presence of God everyday...to top it off I only pay $1500 in taxes! I can't think of anything better to spend my money on. Stay strong Ambrose!
DeleteI'm stuck for words! Cannot believe the tuition is that expensive, not alone high school but for grammar school? How can anyone afford to send their child to a Catholic grammar school let alone two or more children! Sad situation!
DeleteEverything costs money,It boils down to what's important. I am a public school teacher, I would spend tens of thousands of dollars and live in a shack before my kids went to Buffalo Public schools...the truth hurts!
DeleteTuition for 1 child k-8 at ND is $2,500. If I am paying more than I should please let me know so I can get a refund. Add the "mandatory fundraiser" of $350 (that parents have to pay for at registration) and an easy $100 for uniforms and the real cost of tuition is $2,950 per child per year. Now add your county taxes and user fee and I think you will find that your sister is paying less to educate her children than you are.And I do not, nor do I need to send my children to school to learn morals, values, and have the presence of god everyday, I teach those lessions at home.
DeleteWhy not ask the diocese. You'll get no answers. They want out of the education business and this is how they kill the schools. Rise tuition. Don't answer parent concerns. They've effectively alienated any potential families. Have you seen church attendance? Pathetic.
DeleteGreat article Mike! Keep everyone informed!
ReplyDelete"We are one school afterall, are we not?" just because its catholic school doesnt mean theres unity. in this neighborhood its all about $$.
ReplyDeleteAmbrose is a GREAT school filled with happy, smart, loving, respectful children and SB is still a wonderful community to raise our kids in!! One of the major problems we are having is the lack of support we receive in the way of recruiting. One commercial and a couple of signs does not make an impactful recruiting initiative for a school/community that needs it. Too much focus in 1 area vs. all 3...it's not balanced to say the least...hmmm...who's driving that bus? We need every parent in SB whether their child goes to ACA or not to write a letter or make a call to the Diocese, the Superintendant, the board and speak up! The way they are handling the low enrollment at ACA and Trinity is UNACCEPTABLE and the SB Community is tired of being at the mercy of these 3 branches! NO MORE CLOSINGS and start participating with enrollment and community initiatives instead of just pulling the plug!! It is truly time for everyone to be proactive for the kids and the community!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree. It would be nice to see everyone work together to keep ACA afloat. I'd hate to see another empty building. I don't have any kids at any of the three schools, so I feel like I'm unbiased on this one. I was sad to see my old school (St Agatha's) close down years ago, but it was inevitable. hopefully, people will work together instead of pointing fingers. Please keep me posted on any fund raisers taking place.
DeleteWill do Mike - thanks for caring!!! ACA Parents:)
DeleteAsk the parents of the over 120 kids that left over the last 8 years and they will tell you why. Some will say financial reasons,some will say other schools offer more while some will say, it was the principal that soured them. Any parents have any other reasons?
ReplyDeleteWell we could ask the same question about the merge between St. Tommy's and St. Martins, I seem to recall a large number of students leaving St. Martins to go to Ambrose not to long ago. Let's not forget Notre Dame is a merged school. I just don't understand why so many people feel like its us against them. If any of the 3 campuses close it's the begining of the end for South Buffalo. Does anyone on Okell or Ridgewood want to look at a vacant building? I highly doubt it. If what we are trying to teach our children is true shouldn't we be working together to keep all three open. Stop talking bad about any of the campuses. There are wonderful people,teachers and staff at all 3!!
DeleteYou're right about the end coming to South Buffalo if ANY of these campuses are jeopardized, including Trinity. Why hasn't any of this been addressed by the politicians? Soon, they'll have no constituents to vote for them if these neighborhoods can't keep these schools in place. And they won't touch these issues because they are Catholic schools. If my school tax could be used in the manner I saw fit, I wouldn't be in a twist about keeping my kids in catholic schools. Why haven't the politicians addressed that? Keep the neighborhood as unique and viable as it is now and has been in the past. It won't last if these kids are forced to attend one of the most dysfunctional, unproductive school districts in the country.
DeleteI agree enough of the bad. If the powers that be have recognized that the enrollment has decreased because of leadership then its their responsibility to act on it for the sake of the school, but as we've recently learned the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. We need to pull together and stop being so petulant, honestly does it really get us anywhere??? And who at Notre Dame really wants an additional 240 students at their school. Do you think you're children will receive the same attention/education that they do now if the classes double? Teachers will be stretched thin and grades will drop, look at the stats on this....they will speak for themselves. All 3 campuses need to pull together as one and start working towards the common good for all of SB. Enough of the nasty remarks and start doing something positive, the first comment above is just another example of how not to support your community.
DeleteIt is more than the tuition. The problem goes deeper. If it was only about finances leading to the drastic drop in enrollment, there wouldn't be as many ex-Ambrose kids going to Notre Dame which has the same tuition.
ReplyDeleteThe drop in enrollment has not been drastic, it's been consistant since Discovery school and SB charter have opened. As for ex-Ambrose students, sure there are ex- Ambrose students at Notre Dame just like there are Ex-Notre Dame, Trinity and Discovery kids at Ambrose...that's just a silly comment. Parents do what they think is best for their children. That is the beauty of still having options in SB...do you really want to lose those options? This is why the above comment makes so much sense...Write the Diocese and Fr. Judge people, we don't want South Buffalo to become what other areas of the city have become. South Buffalo is a great place to live, embrace it and fight for all not one!
DeleteThere are a few reasons for this problem. Money is a big one. Another overlooked problem is the fact that religion is not as prominent in peoples lives as it used to be. Look at church attendance for people who have school aged kids. Its dropped considerably over the past 20 years. Timon and Mercy should step up and help recruit students to these schools since that's where those kids will go to high school.
ReplyDeleteA group of parents that like to gossip started rumors about the school closing last year. They got people to go to Norre Dame with them. They are Notre Dames problem now :)
ReplyDeleteWe are sending our child to Notre dame for kindergarten which was a really hard decision. We are sad to hear the news about St.Ambrose but Notre dame parents whom are the majority are really happy overall. We have also heard how well Notre dame students are doing after graduation.ACA being smaller needs to find a way to have a bigger voice. I have heard wonderful things about Mrs Sheehan but my child attends Noah's Ark and we were never even informed of an open house or Kindergarten welcome. It was not untill after the news broke that we received a letter asking to consider ACA and at pre k graduation in which the principal was present, not a word was said. I am not switching now but I think if ACA promoted itself more through Noahs Ark they may not be in this situation.
ReplyDeletevery good point , however what you don't understand is that the school is given certain things to give out regarding registration from the higher ups. as far as open house Ambrose was advertised the same as Trinity and Notre dame. How did you hear about Notre Dames? ACA didn't decide at the last minute to send letters out, it was the parents of ACA students that did. we as parents have been in contact with the catholic education dept. at the diocese since Feb. and had been told no worries. Then in May they dropped the bomb on us. This was the reason for the late letters from parents. I'm guessing the administration at Ambrose has their hands tied because they have to listen to the Diocese. The whole situation is tragic. As an Ambrose parent my fight is to keep all three schools open. As for your child I'm sure Notre dame is a wonderful choice, but you really are missing out on the greatest Kindergarten teacher. I've never met another woman like her! Good Luck to you.
DeleteThe whole situation is very sad, but the worrying thing is that the leaders of the school are the same for all three campuses. I think everyone is forgetting the bigger picture here. The community as a whole is at stake, we as a community should be helping each other. We need to join as one and ask the Diocese of Buffalo what their plan is for South Buffalo Catholic School. I know many people at all 3 schools and I would hate to see any of our children have to change schools due to closing. We need to remeber our children are likely to end up in highschool together anyway. Let's fight this fight together for our children, our community and our children. Let us not forget the reason our children are in Catholic school.
DeleteIts difficult to say "all of South Buffalo" when Fr. Judge adopts one campus as his own and assigns Mrs. Syminski to mediate all 3. When Tommy's closed, he asked parents to go to Notre Dame and NOT the school "over the bridge". As for the remark regarding Timon/Mercy steppin to the plate.... maybe more parents should read the "Faith in Tommorow" action plan one more time. There's a local Catholic High School who recently applied with the Diocese to open a Jr. High right on campus.. the were asked to "hold on" to those plans because the neighboring Catholic Elementary schools would lose their 7th and 8th graders. This "pilot" program will happen soon, and then Timon, with its 50% occupancy vacant,... SB Charter is moving 2 blocks from Trinity in 2015... does SB Catholic and Fr. Judge have an Action Plan to keep TCA students.... no, no one thinks too far ahead at South Buffalo Catholic,... they live in the hear and now... Faith in Tomorrow???? with whats going on at ACA and TCA, its hard to have Faith in Today!?
DeleteI think it's funny how some parents play follow the leader when it comes to there kids education...If it wasn't for a unhappy family leaving and trashing ACA how many families would of stayed?
ReplyDeleteTHE AREA POLITICIANS AREN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING,THEY LIVE IN THIER OWN WORLD.THEY FORGOT WHY WE ELECTED THEM,TO REPRESENT US. ONCE IN OFFICE THEY FORGET THE LITTLE GUY AND CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WILL BENIFIT THEM AND THIER MONITARY SUPPORTERS.THEY DON'T THINK OF THE CHILDREN AND HOW ALL THIS EFFECTS THEM.THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT A POLITICIAN IS YOU CAN SMELL THEM COMING.
ReplyDeleteif police, fire, and teachers had to live in the city, these schools would be turning students away. Call the mayor and demand he sign contracts with a residency requirement.
ReplyDeleteI was curious as to where all the soon to be 5 year olds from the october storm baby boom were, so I made some phone calls. BPS advised me that there are currently over 50 kids on the waiting list for kindergarten at the discovery school. The parents can only be on one waitlist in the BPS, so odds are they won't get into their 2nd or 3rd choices either, then come mid August those parents will be scrambling, trying to find a good school to send their kid to. ACA has until July 1st to add 7 more kids, if not, then there's no kindergarten class at ACA. Notre dame currently has a cap on their kindergarten, they are supposed to be referring interested parents to ACA or Trinity. They are maxed out at 46 kids. There will be a rush in August and it may be too late for Ambrose. I know that I will be very busy the next 2 weeks with my own grass roots recruiting. So if you see a crazy lady running around the local parks, chasing down 5year olds, don't be alarmed, I'm just an Ambrose parent & alumnus trying to save my school!!! Keep the faith!!
ReplyDeletenow we know whose reading the blog...ex-nuns, fired city workers + soccer moms
ReplyDeletewho's jon , not whose.
ReplyDeleteJon, which one would you be, an ex-nun, fired city worker, or a soccer mom?
ReplyDeleteim a dad. im amazed that an inevitable closing of st. ambrose gets the biggest reaction. i bet in 5yrs it will be closed or renamed. how could every other catholic school in south buffalo get the ax but not st. ambrose? the bldg has always been outdated. the gym is a slippery death trap and the church is no bigger than a chapel at mercy hospital. i personally know the pre-k is great but its not worth dying over. if they have any brains they will keep the pre-k open. the amount of $ these catholic schools want isn't fair. sb is loving 67 on abbott and the charter school on s.park. if catholic charities really cared about spreading the good word and not money they could let families know its ok to go to public school and offer free religion classes two different days a week. but its all about...god = $
ReplyDelete