Parents in Cicero, Illinois are taking a stand against the Archdiocese of Chicago's decision to shut down St. Frances of Rome School, a decision that follows the dissolution of a state tax credit scholarship program. At least two dozen parents demonstrated outside Holy Name Cathedral's rectory Saturday, as reported by the Chicago Tribune, pleading with Cardinal Blase Cupich to keep the west suburban Catholic grade school open beyond June.
These schools' closure, which affects St. Frances of Rome in Cicero and St. Odilo School in Berwyn, was announced last month by the archdiocese, citing a looming financial crisis after losing the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program. One parent coordinator, Betty Paz, stated, "We have requested an open parent forum to have our questions answered," emphasizing the lack of communication before the shutdown was announced, the Tribune reports.
Parents argue that the two schools targeted for closure are critical for the community, serving predominantly Hispanic student populations from working-class families. Brenda Sanchez, a parent of a St. Frances student, told the Chicago Tribune, "It’s very hard because we are low-income families, and we barely make money to send our kids to this school." She shared their plight without the state scholarships, explaining that other schools are more expensive and don't provide an adequate substitute for their children's education.
Bob Gilligan, Executive Director for the Catholic Conference of Illinois told WGN News that the closure is a tragedy as "these children are learning, they are thriving, and to have this yanked out from under them is a tragedy." Despite the protest and the outcry from the affected communities, it seems the archdiocese is poised to close the schools along with the expiration of the scholarship program, which previously aided a significant number of their students.
Meanwhile, the archdiocese maintains that the loss of the tax credit program funds is inflicting millions in damages, with Superintendent of Catholic Schools Greg Richmond asserting, "Those hurt the most are schools, like St. Frances of Rome, who serve the greatest number of low-income students," according to a statement obtained by the Chicago Tribune. The future of these institutions remains uncertain as lawmakers and the archdiocese grapple with the financial realities of education in Illinois.
