Hub schools to feel closing of parishes

5 March 2004

Boston's newest crisis - the imminent closing of a dozen or more of its 59 Catholic parishes - feeds into worries over one of its gravest long-term challenges: keeping its middle class. That's because those churches, and in particular their schools, are the thin threads that keep many families tied to their neighborhoods. Once broken, those families will be gone.

In the wake of scandal, declining church attendance and limited funds, the archdiocese has begun to retrench. It's a sadly long overdue and probably necessary move. The archbishop reportedly won't announce exact plans until May, but the speculation is that the church will close upwards of one-third of its 357 parishes.

For many, particularly those whose families have been here for generations, it will be a wrenching and painful time. Bostonians traditionally have described themselves less by the names of their neighborhoods than by their parishes. It's not South Boston, Dorchester or Brighton; rather, it's Gate of Heaven, St. Brendan's or St. Columbkille's. Shutter those churches, runs the argument, and communities will lose a critical part of their identity.

There's much truth to that concern but, by itself perhaps, the situation is manageable. Sure, people are devoted to their parishes, but the archdiocese argues it isn't leaving them bereft. The plan is that nearby churches will welcome in those whose own churches are closing. Moreover, the notion of Boston as a city characterized by its parishes is far less true than it once was. Today's residents are transient, moving from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even in and out of Boston. Ever fewer define themselves by attachment to a small bit of geography.

The deeper worry, however, is about parochial schools. After the church closings, "the schools . . . aren't far behind," City Council President Michael Flaherty (South Boston) says. There are 44 Catholic elementary and high schools in Boston. Most of those are parochial schools that depend upon their parishes for financial support. What happens if they close?

In the short term, many of those students will end up on the doorstep of the public schools, imposing crushing burdens on city finances. In the long term, however, the answer is much more complicated. Boston's middle class has largely rejected the Boston Public Schools (BPS), opting instead for a somewhat jury-rigged, "second" system.

The second system - let's call it the non-BPS system (even though some BPS schools are part of it) - consists of Boston's private and parochial schools, 17 charter schools, 13 pilot schools and the two Latin schools run by BPS. In addition, there are a few elementary schools scattered around the city that attract middle-class parents. Altogether, the non-BPS system serves around 32,000. It's a frayed arrangement (many Catholic schools already have been shuttered over the last few years) but parochial and private schools still play a critical role, educating 14,000 students.

The differences between this system and the rest of the BPS schools are striking. More than 85 percent of the students in the BPS are non-white. Meanwhile, the numbers are almost reversed in the non-BPS system, where over 70 percent of students are white. And while this may seem to smack of simple racial segregation, in reality it more reflects economic segregation. An examination of average incomes by neighborhoods makes it clear that those in the non-BPS system are substantially better off than those in BPS schools. Moreover, talk to black, Latino or Asian middle-class families, and you'll get the same thoughts as one gets from white middle-class families: They want little to do with the conventional BPS system. If the non-BPS system didn't exist, they probably would be living in the suburbs.

Thus, the prospect of closing parishes - and the schools they support - is deeply worrisome to city pols. For the moment, they're simply hoping they can persuade the archdiocese to delay its decision, "just so parents have adequate time to prepare for their children's future," says City Councilor Jerry McDermott (Brighton). That may help make things easier for the next few months, but it does little to stave off the seemingly inevitable. Indeed, McDermott himself - with young children of his own - now confronts the same issue as other middle-class families in Boston: Will he have to move out for the sake of his kids?

Most recognize that the current model of two school systems exacerbates racial and economic divides and probably can't be sustained in the long run. But it has worked for a while, allowing Boston to retain a large middle-class.

Now, with the potential closing of so many schools, the problem becomes more acute. What's the solution? Neighborhood schools? More pilot and charter schools? Vouchers? The fear is the middle class may have disappeared before anyone comes up with the answer.

Talk back to Tom Keane at tomkeane@tomkeane.com.