Our Letter
PARENTS AND FRIENDS COMMITTED TO SAVE
HOLY CROSS SCHOOL
332 WEST 43RD STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10036
Dr. Timothy J. McNiff
Superintendent of Schools
Archdiocese of New York
1011 First Avenue, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Dear Dr. McNiff,
This week, we were sent a form letter explaining that our school will be closed in June. As the Archdiocese of New York allegedly promotes transparency and full disclosure, we - parents, children and teachers of Holy Cross School- demand to know the actual reasons for your decision.
In the week after Thanksgiving, we received word from your office that if we could not come up with $240,000 in annual donations for each of the next three years by January 3, our school would be closed. Despite what seemed like a mafia mandate, in the wake of a storm that claimed countless lives, homes and whole neighborhoods of this great city, we raised approximately $650,000 in less than three weeks. This was only the beginning of our efforts. We organized the formation of a development committee consisting of business executives, specialists in academic recruiting and experienced grant writers who committed to begin working the first week of February. A strategic plan for increasing enrollment and executing large fundraisers was meticulously drafted. As asked, we successfully demonstrated that our school was economically viable, yet the Archdiocese failed to keep its promise. We, along with the kind individuals who pledged almost $650,000, would like the truth, please.
The truth appears to be that the review process was nothing more than a farce, a cruel charade, a meaningless reuse. It seems that our fate was decided long ago when it became clear that a little school built with the sweat and blood of poor immigrants was now prime Manhattan real estate. An inconvenient truth appears to many of us to be that the Archdiocese of New York has spent significant money defending certain unconscionable priests and is now taking from poor and working class children to make up the difference. Perhaps, though, the ultimate truth is that no matter how many children sit in our classrooms, dream under our guidance and succeed encouraged by our faith, it will never amount to more than what the Archdiocese can earn from our red brick home on 43rd Street.
Holy Cross School is not just a building. It is a community that reaches far outside the physical walls of our school. We are and have been a fixture in New York City since 1887, educating children who might otherwise never have had the opportunity to attend school. We have furnished the world with well-traveled academics, hard workers, creative thinkers and uncompromising leaders who have made a great difference in our city and in our world. Today our school remains a safe and supportive learning environment for children from over 35 different ethnic backgrounds. We represent those families who want and need more than their zoned public school can provide. We are like a charter school that doesn't require you to win the lottery in order to have a fighting chance.
Because of the same geography that makes our building so coveted, our school is a place where commuting families can bring their children and still keep their jobs. Without Holy Cross School, there would simply be no other option for these parents, constrained by work hours and distance. Holy Cross is a place where parents can easily drop off and pick up their children while still arriving and leaving work on time. In an economy where jobs are scarce and more families are slipping into poverty, Holy Cross School provides much needed support. It is a true blessing for so many of us.
We write this letter because this is Hell's Kitchen, and in the spirit of Father Francis Duffy, we won't be robbed of our blessings without a fight. We would like to invite you, His Eminence Cardinal Dolan and any other interested parties to join us at our school and review with us in person the reasons why our doors are being closed despite our great efforts, despite our hard work, our dedication, our loyalty and the hope that our children lend the future of our city, our world and our Church. We, as parents, children and educators are owed as much. A form letter simply will not do. Our February calendar is open. Please contact us at our school with a convenient date and time. We look forward to seeing you on 43rd Street.
Sincerely,
Parents and Friends Committed to Save Holy Cross School
HOLY CROSS SCHOOL
332 WEST 43RD STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10036
Dr. Timothy J. McNiff
Superintendent of Schools
Archdiocese of New York
1011 First Avenue, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Dear Dr. McNiff,
This week, we were sent a form letter explaining that our school will be closed in June. As the Archdiocese of New York allegedly promotes transparency and full disclosure, we - parents, children and teachers of Holy Cross School- demand to know the actual reasons for your decision.
In the week after Thanksgiving, we received word from your office that if we could not come up with $240,000 in annual donations for each of the next three years by January 3, our school would be closed. Despite what seemed like a mafia mandate, in the wake of a storm that claimed countless lives, homes and whole neighborhoods of this great city, we raised approximately $650,000 in less than three weeks. This was only the beginning of our efforts. We organized the formation of a development committee consisting of business executives, specialists in academic recruiting and experienced grant writers who committed to begin working the first week of February. A strategic plan for increasing enrollment and executing large fundraisers was meticulously drafted. As asked, we successfully demonstrated that our school was economically viable, yet the Archdiocese failed to keep its promise. We, along with the kind individuals who pledged almost $650,000, would like the truth, please.
The truth appears to be that the review process was nothing more than a farce, a cruel charade, a meaningless reuse. It seems that our fate was decided long ago when it became clear that a little school built with the sweat and blood of poor immigrants was now prime Manhattan real estate. An inconvenient truth appears to many of us to be that the Archdiocese of New York has spent significant money defending certain unconscionable priests and is now taking from poor and working class children to make up the difference. Perhaps, though, the ultimate truth is that no matter how many children sit in our classrooms, dream under our guidance and succeed encouraged by our faith, it will never amount to more than what the Archdiocese can earn from our red brick home on 43rd Street.
Holy Cross School is not just a building. It is a community that reaches far outside the physical walls of our school. We are and have been a fixture in New York City since 1887, educating children who might otherwise never have had the opportunity to attend school. We have furnished the world with well-traveled academics, hard workers, creative thinkers and uncompromising leaders who have made a great difference in our city and in our world. Today our school remains a safe and supportive learning environment for children from over 35 different ethnic backgrounds. We represent those families who want and need more than their zoned public school can provide. We are like a charter school that doesn't require you to win the lottery in order to have a fighting chance.
Because of the same geography that makes our building so coveted, our school is a place where commuting families can bring their children and still keep their jobs. Without Holy Cross School, there would simply be no other option for these parents, constrained by work hours and distance. Holy Cross is a place where parents can easily drop off and pick up their children while still arriving and leaving work on time. In an economy where jobs are scarce and more families are slipping into poverty, Holy Cross School provides much needed support. It is a true blessing for so many of us.
We write this letter because this is Hell's Kitchen, and in the spirit of Father Francis Duffy, we won't be robbed of our blessings without a fight. We would like to invite you, His Eminence Cardinal Dolan and any other interested parties to join us at our school and review with us in person the reasons why our doors are being closed despite our great efforts, despite our hard work, our dedication, our loyalty and the hope that our children lend the future of our city, our world and our Church. We, as parents, children and educators are owed as much. A form letter simply will not do. Our February calendar is open. Please contact us at our school with a convenient date and time. We look forward to seeing you on 43rd Street.
Sincerely,
Parents and Friends Committed to Save Holy Cross School