DuKette Catholic School students Dezmon Griffin and Donald Scott. (Photo via catholicweb.com)A comment from redgirl about the closure of DuKette Catholic School:
This is very, very sad, not to mention infuriating: why were the teachers, students and the families concerned only just NOW informed that they would not be returning? Budget or no budget, to leave these families hanging like that in the eleventh hour is simply inexcusable. Did anyone consider the transition issue for the kids, and the impact that such an abrupt change could potentially have on them and their families? It would have been far better from a psychological and emotional standpoint to prepare these children and their families for this DURING the school year so they could prepare for and process the change together as a group. I'm sure there was a fight to the end to keep the place open, but to keep the most important people in the school — the kids and their families — in the dark until the last minute was simply not right.
Are there any readers out there who attended Maurice Oak Primary and Donovan North Middle School in the 1970s? I started first grade in 1971 and left after finishing eighth grade in 1979, moving on to Powers Catholic for high school. I have very fond memories of all those years at that school and of the kids, the teachers, the principals, the games, the church and the grounds, the secretaries, and the lunch and the milk ladies — who could forget Mrs. Bontumasi! When I started a carton of white milk was 4 cents and chocolate 5 cents.
UPDATE: The Diocese of Lansing website has more information:
The children of DuKette School - located at the Saint Agnes site - will be invited to attend Saint John Vianney School. The diocese will help the children currently enrolled in grades K-7 (2007-2008) continue their Catholic Education with some diocesan subsidy while they remain in any parish grade school. DuKette School will be closed.
It sounds a lot like the way the Diocese of Lansing floated in and shut down St. Mary's several years back.
ReplyDeleteI think St. Mary's had some very politcal issues that help lead to their closing. If I remember the nuns at the school didn't get along too well with the Diocese of Lansing.
ReplyDeleteThe good thing is that St. John Vianney school and parish are a very tightly knit community with an active youth group and a highly committed priest. The closing of DuKette is really unfortunate, but a transfer to SJV is probably the smoothest alternative there could be for the kids if they want to remain within a (Catholic) faith-based educational community. I wonder what will become of the teachers and administrators from DuKette - are they all technically unemployed as of August 1? Kinda looks that way.
ReplyDeleteDiocese had nothing to do with the closing of St. Mary's in Swartz Creek. That was totally the Pastor's decision.
ReplyDeleteSorry...you were talking about St. Mary's Flint weren't you? In the immortal words of Emily Littella (sp?): "Never mind."
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