Students, Parents Devastated, Outraged Over McGann-Mercy Closure

RIVERHEAD, NY — Parents and students were equally livid and heartbroken on Tuesday after they were rocked by the news that Bishop McGann-Mercy High School in Riverhead will be shutting its doors — closing a chapter on a legacy that has shaped generations of lives.

The Diocese of Rockville Center made the announcement Monday, stating that, as part of a long-term effort to revitalize and strengthen Catholic education on Long Island, it would consolidate two elementary schools and close the diocesan high school, stating that the schools are "no longer viable" due to decreased enrollment.

Moving forward, the diocese will combine Our Lady of Mercy Regional School in Cutchogue and St. Isidore School in Riverhead into a new nursery through Grade 8 school on the St. Isidore site.

The new school will be named St. John Paul II Regional School.

Parents and students alike spoke out Tuesday about what they said was shocking news.

"Our family is devastated right now," said Rosanne Hendrickson, who has two sons that attended Mercy; her oldest graduated in 2015. "Sean said he loved going to Mercy as he did for all four years of Catholic high school. Our other son Evan is presently in ninth grade. Evan is so confused and upset right now," she said.

Mercy, she said, is a wonderful school, where her children were taught good morals, and given support and self esteem during their teenage years.

"They had amazing school spirit and Mercy pride," she said.

And, Hendrickson said, parents are outraged over how the news was broken. "The way we were told, from a Connect Ed message, is an absolute disgrace. We have no idea of what the future holds and my son feels very confused right now. We are all upset as we had not seen this one coming."

She added that she and her family are praying for all of the teachers, staff and all of the children.

Maddie Hansen, currently a ninth grader at McGann Mercy High School, told Patch, "This school means the world to me. When I first made the switch I knew that it was a great community. I made so many friends on the first day and I have two friends that will stick with me for life, maybe even more."

Everyone at Mercy, she said, is nice, kind, and caring. "Mercy is like one big family. Everyone is there for each other. Its not like there are distant cousins that you never talk to."

She added that students attend Mercy from both Forks and from points west on Long Island, so there's a good chance kids may never see their classmates again after the closure.

"When I found out the news I was devastated," she said. "I knew that neither of those two friends live in my district. We are going to try to see each other but it is going to be tough."

Maddie feels that other options might be weighed, such as not allowing grades lower than the current ninth grade to enroll and sending middle school students to another high school.

"Let the current grade finish high school and then shut down the school. That would be the less heartbreaking way to handle the situation," she said.

Maddie added that she fears bullying and other issues in a public school setting.

"Mercy is a completely different community that I never thought would end. Every day for the rest of the year I am going to cherish, and every time I think of the school closing will be the time I spend crying and devastated," she said.

After Bishop McGann-Mercy Diocesan High School in Riverhead closes, the Diocese will offer students the opportunity to enroll at St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip, a release said.

The diocese will provide transportation, guidance counseling and tuition grants to students who continue at a diocesan school.

But Maddie said, that's small consolation. She added that she feels the Bishop "doesn’t care about how all of the amazing people that go to Mercy every single day are feeling. It appears that he doesn’t care about the Catholic families that live on the North or South Forks. Mercy is in the middle of everything and the people that live on the Forks are not going to want to hike all the way to West Islip every single day."

Aquebogue resident Debbie Kneidl, who once worked at Mercy, said, "Rockville Center has just cut off the East End."

Catholic education, she added, is a ministry. "It is where children of God are taught to be disciples."

Children who attend Catholic school, she said, are rooted in their faith and are taught daily to serve and minister to others.

"These children are often the ones who keep Catholicism moving forward in a community," Kneidl said. "Bishop Barres, under the direction and suggestion of the Chief Financial Officer for Rockville Centre Tom Doodian, have done nothing other than to suggest to our East End community that we are not as important, and as worthy, as those in western Suffolk or Nassau. They are saying we as a community do not deserve the same opportunities. They are saying money is more important than doing God's work. Shame on them!"

"My children and I have not stopped crying"

Parents and students were heartbroken at the news Monday, as well. Dania Atkinson, a parent, said the students are devastated, with juniors unsure of how their senior year will unfold. "A whole school, which includes faculty, staff, kids and family, is losing its identity," she said. "My children and I have not stopped crying every time we think about it."

These three schools will close at the end of the current school year in June, and St. John Paul II Regional School will open in September, 2018.

Enrollment at the three schools, all on the East End has fallen 37 percent since 2011, the Diocese said.

The high school alone was subsidized $16.3 million from 2007 through the last school year and is expected to require an additional $2.3 million in support for the school year, a release said. The enrollment decline partially reflects a 6.2 percent drop in the school-age population in Suffolk County between 2011 and 2016, a loss of 19,000 children, according to data from the 2016 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, the Diocese said.

The "graying of Long Island's population has caused significant challenges for all schools — public, Catholic and private — reducing the available number of school-age children," the release said, adding that effects of the decline have been even more dramatic on the East End where the population is already more sparse.

"We recognize the pain and disruption that this decision causes for our beloved school families," said Most Reverend John O. Barres, Bishop, Diocese of Rockville Centre. "It is a decision that is heartbreaking to our students, their parents and families, our dedicated faculty, administrators and staff, and of course our parishes that are impacted."

He added that the Diocese will support students, families, and employees throughout the transition with spiritual and pastoral care, as well as with information through communication.

"Our goal is that these measures will strengthen Catholic schools on Long Island. The sad truth is that it has become increasingly unfeasible to maintain these schools financially," he said. "As is often the case in these situations, the only real course of action is to combine our resources in new and creative ways so that we can provide a more robust and compelling educational experience across the entire system, in keeping with our mission to serve the people of Long Island."

Bishop McGann-Mercy, with a total enrollment of 365 in Grade 7 to 12 and 312 students in Grades 9 to 12, expects to graduate 91 students in June and has registered only 55 students for the incoming freshman class of September 2018, the release said.
St. Isidore School, with 104 enrolled students in kindergarten through eighth grade, is expected to require a subsidy from the parish and diocese of approximately $475,000 for the current school year, the diocese said. And at Our Lady of Mercy Regional, enrollment has declined to 53 students in kindergarten through sixth grade with just three students in the first grade; the school is anticipated to require a subsidy from the supporting parishes and diocese of approximately $600,000 for the current school year, the diocese said.

The diocese has developed staffing and logistical plans and will be sharing details at informational meetings and open houses. In addition, the diocese has set up a hotline at 516-280-4124 and website to provide information.

Plans for St. John Paul II Regional School in Riverhead include an enhanced Early Childhood Education Center, a strengthened elementary education program and middle-school academy featuring a STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art and Math) curriculum.

"While we sincerely regret having to take these actions, we remain dedicated to the mission of Catholic education," said Bishop Barres.

Patch file photo.