Proposed Racine Catholic high school has funding to open in fall
RACINE - A proposed Catholic high school in Racine has the funding needed to open this fall and has passed the necessary city inspections, school organizer Dave Tomasiewicz said Thursday.
"We'll be there in the fall ready to go," he said.
Tomasiewicz plans to open the St. John Fisher Academy at the former YWCA building, 740 College Ave. The school, which will be the second Catholic high school in the city, will start with about 100 freshmen this fall and will add a grade each year until freshmen through senior students are enrolled.
Tomasiewicz previously said about $1 million would be needed for the school's startup. He would not provide specific information Thursday on how much funding has been secured or where it has come from, saying only that he has enough to operate the school for at least the first year.
St. John Fisher received a conditional-use permit from the city in June and passed a city inspection this week, Tomasiewicz also said Thursday.
St. John Fisher is so far moving forward without approval from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, which is needed to hold Mass, offer sacraments or teach Catholic theology. The archdiocese announced in May they disapprove of the school in part because it could take students from existing area Catholic high schools like St. Catherine's High School, 1200 Park Ave.
But Tomasiewicz said Thursday he has a new meeting about archdiocesan approval scheduled July 19 with archdiocese officials.
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http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_b3e79de0-a365-11e0-959d-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1RQp2IEWs
6 comments:
Well!
The school will also benefit from the new "Choice" legislation which allows such schools in Racine. So will the Archdiocesan school, of course--assuming they go for certification.
And there's really no reason that Racine couldn't support two Catholic high schools--except the objections of St Kate's.
As to "teaching Catholic theology" without a license? That is a VERY interesting question, indeed, for there are at least 5 "non-licensed" schools in metro Milwaukee doing exactly that.
I had not heard that tidbit before either. I assumed there was a de facto right to teach unless the diocese objected to it. Would be interesting to see what Canon Law actually has to say on the matter.
???? "...teach Catholic theology..." ???
Someone's got something wrong there. My guess the journalist/writer is misquoting something she was told.
License to teach theology? The Archdiocese is not a "licensing" entity. Of course, the archdiocese must approve of the curriculum.
As what is considered "theology" at the other Catholic "approved" schools in the archdiocese, it is about as Catholic as the door knob to my bathroom. The content is rainbows and unicorns mixed with a dash of secular humanism.
I wish Saint John Fisher the very best. Although, I would be surprised if the folks at the school's office on South Lake Drive try kill it.
Where did you guys find the word license?
I couldn't find it. I found approval, which in some ways is the same as license only approval can be a tad less official.
There is a difference between not approving of the theology that is taught at SJF and needing approval to teach Catholic theology.
We homeschool and to my knowledge we do not need approval to teach Catholic theology, yet we try our best to teach just that. At the same time I would never expect the bishop to give his stamp of approval to the theology that we teach. He doesn't have the time to review every homeschooling family's curriculum in the diocese much less consider it for approval.
Good point anon. PS> Journal times word, not mine.
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