Community given time to increase enrollment, funds to keep Holy Family School open

From Kevin Keenen, director of communications, Catholic Diocese of Buffalo:

Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop of Buffalo, has delayed any decision until next March. He wants the local community to come together and see if they can increase enrollment and raise the necessary funds to keep HFS open for the long term. This will require significant time, effort, increased enrollment and financial sponsorship by the Le Roy community and surrounding areas. Father Michael Rock, canonical administrator of the school, has called a meeting for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29 in the Holy Family School gymnasium to rally the community to action.

While a final decision will not be made until March 1, 2012, we must continue to plan for the possible merger of the two schools. The bishop will not make a final decision until the local community has acted on this opportunity.

Make no mistake about it: this is a clarion call for the HFS community to develop a realistic plan that will not only increase enrollment, but also place the school on solid financial footing for many years to come.

It is now up to the community to take action to make significant, long-term financial commitments to build Holy Family School into a stable, growing Catholic elementary school. We pray that their efforts will succeed and the end result with be even greater Catholic identity in the classroom, stronger academic programs and exciting new opportunities in the years to come for Catholic elementary school students in Le Roy, Genesee County and beyond.