With an eye toward fundraising and keeping Catholic education affordable, control of Bishop McCort High School was turned over to a board of trustees Wednesday to be run as an independent corporation.
The board will be responsible for operations at the high school, including policy development, hiring of a principal, marketing and budget.
As one of its first acts, the board signed Principal Ken Salem to a five-year contract.
McCort will maintain its Catholic identity, but the role of the diocese in paying the bills will be reduced. This already has occurred at Bishop Guilfoyle and a nonprofit will be created for Bishop Carroll at 1 p.m. Oct. 20.
“This diocesan church and I, as the bishop, will continue to be connected with our Catholic high schools in a number of ways,” Bishop Joseph Adamec said at a ceremony at McCort. “This includes financial support to the extent that is possible.”
Afterward, Adamec said he did not have the figures available as to what the diocese now pays annually, nor would he project how much the diocese’s outlay would drop.
He explained how the move to become a corporation could profit the high school.
“If the actual oversight is in local hands, there would be more confidence of locals – and even industry – to contribute,” he said.
Before, he said, the three high schools were under one umbrella. Now, contributors can be assured the money will stay local.
“This day has been long in coming,” Adamec said. “It is a good day.”
Sister Donna Marie Leiden, education director for the Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese and member of the McCort board, pledged McCort would stay “a strong spiritual center.”
Dan Hummel, chairman of Bishop McCort Catholic High School Inc., praised all parties involved in the new configuration.
“From the beginning, everyone’s motivation has been on the kids,” he said.
Goals include making a Catholic education available to all who want it as well as capital improvements, he said.
Tuition is $4,995 a year.
And groundbreaking for the $2.5 million Bach Wellness Center – to include a basketball court, weights and fitness bikes – has been penciled in for spring.
Salem said $1.5 million of that has been raised.
Salem said after the announcement – made before students, teachers and media – that he’d also like to raise enrollment, currently 426, to 500 or more.
Board members
The board of trustees of the newly renamed Bishop McCort Catholic High School are:
Dan Hummel, chairman.
Joseph Martella, vice chairman.
Mike Price, treasurer.
Susan Mann, secretary.
Nicholas Antonazzo.
Jack Buchan.
Dr. Vincent Cascino.
Jerry Davitch.
Paul Helsel.
Richard Kastelic.
Monsignor Thomas Mabon, director emeritus.
Eileen Melvin.
Mark Pasquerilla.
Rev. Paul Turnbull.
Sister Donna Marie Leiden, bishop’s delegate.
Local News
Related Photos
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Bishop McCort school Solicitor D.C. Nokes (left), Bishop Joseph Adamec and Sister Donna Marie Leiden sign the papers that turn control of the school over to a board of trustees. Adamec holds up a dollar bill, jokingly saying that Nokes was supposed to “buy” the school for a dollar. John Rucosky
Discussion
McCort control given to board of trustees
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