July 26, 2020 Your Neighborhood — Your News®
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CL ASSIFIEDS
PA GE 7
STUDENTS, PARENTS RALLY TO KEEP ST. MEL’S
CATHOLIC ACADEMY IN FLUSHING OPEN FOR ALL
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
For the past week, it has been
a rollercoaster ride for students
and parents at St. Mel’s Catholic
Academy in Flushing as they continue
to fight to keep the school
open for all students.
About 100 parents and students
took to the streets on July 17 near
St. Mel’s Catholic Academy, located
at 154-24 26th Ave., protesting
to save grades 4 through 8, as they
scramble to find a new school for
their children who they say have
been displaced.
“We are grateful that St. Mel’s
will remain open for younger students,
but for the older students,
it’s like they’re being thrown out
and pushed to the side, and families
aren’t going to realistically
go to two different buildings to
bring their kids to school if they
can all be together in one place,”
said Alie Ziraschi, a parent of
three daughters — ages 4, 7 and
10 — who attend St. Mel’s.
Although St. Mel’s Catholic
Academy will no longer exist in
its current form, the school announced
the opening of its early
childhood center program — consisting
of nursery, pre-K, kindergarten
and grades 1 through 3 —
in September, continuing to serve
children in Flushing, Bayside,
Whitestone and College Point.
“In the midst of that sorrow
came some joy and we were able
to use the school’s fund balance —
since we pay our bills and tuition
— to keep the early childhood
center here,” Father Joseph Fonti
told QNS. “I’ve only been here
for a year and I’ve fallen in love
with the children and their families.
The march generated from
parents was a demonstration of
love and loyalty for the school. I
think it’s a natural response because
they want the best for their
children, and I want the best for
them, too.”
St. Mel’s Catholic Academy students protest to keep schools open for children in grades 4 through 8. Photo by Sarah Ferrara
It’s a small victory for St. Mel’s,
which was one of 20 Catholic
schools around the city scheduled
to close in August due to financial
strains of the COVID-19 pandemic,
according to the Diocese of
Brooklyn’s July 9 announcement.
The schools have seen a decline
of enrollment over the last five
years, but the registration totals
for the upcoming school year are
down significantly, largely due to
the massive unemployment and
loss of business that has resulted
from the pandemic, the Diocese
said in its statement to parents.
Ziraschi was in a state of
“complete utter shock” when she
read the email sent by the Diocese,
she said.
“It really took my breath away
hearing that news and seeing that
email because it came out of nowhere,”
Ziraschi said. “At the timing
of it, it was terrible because of
the COVID-19 issue and situation
— the kids haven’t been in school
since March and didn’t have any
closure to the school year as it
was … and now to have their
school out of nowhere closed, it’s
just shocking to us.”
Ziraschi is choosing to keep
her two younger children at St.
Mel’s, even if she has to find a
new school for her older daughter,
who is entering sixth grade in
September.
During a virtual zoom meeting
on July 13 with Thomas Chadzutko,
superintendent of schools,
Ziraschi said it was a “slap in the
face” to families who were muted
and not given the opportunity to
speak.
“Only certain questions were
answered in the chat forum and
the meeting abruptly came to an
end,” Ziraschi said.
In response, Ziraschi initiated
an online petition that has
amassed 2,464 signatures thus
far to keep the school open for
all students who have committed
by registering for the 2020-2021
school year.
In a statement to QNS, the Diocese
of Brooklyn said St. Mel’s is
closing due to low enrollment.
In 2016, St. Mel’s had 208 students
enrolled, and in the 2019-
2020 school year that just ended,
there were only 80 students
—which represents more than a
60 percent decline in enrollment.
“The Diocese of Brooklyn has
set a standard that 225 students
are needed in a school to maintain
fiscal stability, healthy class
sizes, and a robust educational
setting,” the Diocese said. “About
80 students are almost one-third
of that requirement.”
In the meantime, Ziraschi said
they’re making the argument
that St. Mel’s should remain open
for its remaining students, and
take in the overflow of students
from other schools, such as Holy
Trinity Catholic Academy in
Whitestone.
Organizers of another online
petition are requesting that the
Diocese of Brooklyn consider
merging the two schools since
both have high academic ratings
and want to stay open.
Reach reporter Carlotta Mohamed
by e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone at
(718) 260–4526.
Vol. 98 No. 30 UPDATED EVERY DAY AT QNS.COM
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