Panel crafts plan to keep Byzantine school open

By Denise Dick

The group proposes a tuition increase, pirogi sales and an outdoor festival.

BOARDMAN — Some parents, administrators and alumni have a plan to keep Byzantine Catholic Central School open next year, but it’s up to the archbishop in Pittsburgh to make the decision.

A 14-member committee has been meeting for the last week to try to devise a plan to eliminate the school’s $356,000 debt. At a meeting with about 200 parents, alumni and administrators Wednesday night, they presented the plan to raise $392,000 through a summer festival, Friday pirogi sales, midnight bingo, a tuition increase and a sale of inscribed bricks and benches.

“The BCC preservation committee firmly believes that God has a plan for us,” said Principal Joan Mingo.

But he can’t help if everyone gives up, she said.

Tina Henderson, a graduate of BCC whose three children would be attending next fall, said it’s important to preserve the excellent education offered by BCC and the Byzantine tradition.

“We were shocked as parents didn’t see this coming,” she said.

Earlier this month, parents learned that the school would close at the end of the school year. The decision was made by the archbishop because of economics.

Now committee members plan to take their plan to the archbishop, likely early next week, said Al Massullo, the school’s athletic director and director of fund-raising.

The school, which opened in 1955, is the only Byzantine school in the area still operating.

Many at the meeting grew emotional while talking about the school, its history and the possible closing.

Some were angry that they weren’t kept informed and didn’t know there was a problem until they were told it was shutting down.

Others, like Michael Glover of Youngstown, teared up.

If BCC closes, he’ll send his daughter, a third-grader, to another private school. He worries that at a public school, she’ll fall through the cracks, or worse.

“I don’t want her to go to a public school where I have to worry about her safety,” he said.

Glover believes the committee’s plan can work.

People like to play bingo and many flock to Pennsylvania to do it when the venues here close around 10 p.m.

If BCC offered one at midnight on Fridays, those people may stay here to play, Massullo reasoned.

Also under the plan, tuition would increase $400 per student. It stands at $1,650 per student for parishioners this year. That increase would raise about $60,000.

BCC’s tuition is relatively low compared to other schools, Massullo said.

The largest amount, $107,000, is from a Step By Step program where organizers would appeal to parishioners, families, businesses and the general public to buy $100 inscribed bricks that would build a path to the Blessed Mother statue in front of the school. Benches also would be available for $500.

The plan also would mean that the school would get less money from the five parishes that support it.

Those churches are getting smaller and don’t have the amount of funding that they used to, Massullo said.

Once the debt is gone, the school will be able to operate, breaking even, said Bernie Kosar Sr., the school administrator for the last two years.

Some at the meeting suggested endowments be established and successful alumni approached and informed about the problem.

If the archbishop rejects the plan though, the school will close, but Massullo said he is hopeful the archbishop is receptive.

“Give us a year to try,” Massullo said to applause from the attendees.

“We want to try. We want to keep this school open.”