7-Time State Champions Face School Closure

April 10, 2009

Citing falling enrollment and dwindling finances, Driscoll Catholic High School in Addison, Illinois -- a program which has won seven consecutive Class 4A state championships under two different coaches (doing so by an average of four touchdowns each time) and compiled an overall record of 92-6 since 2002 -- is closing its doors at the end of this school year, reports the Chicago Tribune.

It is a "very, very difficult" decision, notes Brother Kevin Convey, Director of Education for the institution, who is a member of the order of Christian Brothers of the Midwest. Yet, families which can afford the 43 year-old academy's $8,000-a-year tuition have grown scarcer over time, Convey suggests. At the same point, public and private elementary schools in the local area acting as a pipeline for Driscoll have also suffered a significant decline in overall enrollment.

"Be assured that we did not come to this decision lightly or quickly," a letter from Bishop Francis Carr, provincial of the Christian Brothers of the Midwest, addressed to parents read late last week, the Tribune states.

Doug Delaney, an official of the Catholic Diocese of Joliet, backs Bishop Carr's assessment, telling The Naperville Sun, "This has been a topic of discussion for several months. The enrollment of the school has declined significantly and I think the economic downturn certainly hasn't helped the situation." Delaney continues, adding that on a personal level, "The decision is gut wrenching. It's probably the worst thing you have to do is to close a school or close a parish."

Thomas Geraghty, superintendent of Driscoll, estimates that more than $325,000 is currently needed to remain open past the end of the 2008-2009 school year. The school, which now hosts an enrollment of 307 students, will graduate 87 students at the end of the spring term, a number countered by only 53 new enrollments expected in the fall.

The Sun quotes a source as saying that the fight for Driscoll may not yet be over, as "many donors have pledged money to try and keep the school open." That is a sentiment apparently supported by an unidentified commentator on a Internet blog site, which reads in part, "Work has begun to craft a turn around [sic] plan that will be based on new management, increased fund raising, an alumni campaign, community outreach and fiscal responsibility." The author of the posting goes on to mention that an "escrow account has been established to hold donated funds," with donations apparently being accepted at Piccioe, Keeley & Associates of Wheaton, Illinois.

Calls to a young lady identified in the posting as "Lauren" did not yield a return phone call.

Regardless of the authenticity of such claims, to hear school officials tell it, the fate of Driscoll Catholic High School seems to already have been decided. Says Delaney, for instance, "This [matter] has been discussed and we have looked at every possible scenario of how to raise the finances . . ." Still, in his opinion, no effective solution outside of closing the school could be identified.

The shutting of Driscoll's doors is expected to have far-reaching effects. Not only will the school's students and staff have to be relocated to surrounding institutions of learning, for instance, but -- troubles could be in store for the newly-formed Suburban Christian Conference, an upstart athletic confederation comprised of 12 total teams -- four of which were to come Catholic high schools like Driscoll -- slated to begin play later this year. With Driscoll no longer an option to fill a slot in the two six-team divisions expected to provide automatic berths into conference playoffs at the end of the regular season, the SCC is being forced to identify a school willing to take Driscoll's spot, or will face Illinois High School Athletics Director Dr. Marty Hickman having to, writes the Sun, "make a ruling on the postseason eligibility of the remaining schools' football teams." That could make for some difficult maneuvering, claims IHSA assistant executive director Dave Gannaway, who states, "I don't remember a situation like this occurring where we actually lost a school and figure out if we'd award a forfeit, which would count as a win." "We work very hard at trying to do everything we can for the schools that have been put in a difficult situation not on [sic] their own doing."

Is there any way that the potential fallout from the closing of Driscoll High School can be avoided? The answer to that question, to this point, remains unseen. Still, supporters of the Highlanders are refusing to go down without a fight, with a website -- www.savedriscoll.org -- highlighting recent fundraising events spearheaded by parent-advocate Gene Fauts to raise the money necessary to keep the storied Catholic school afloat not only into next year, but well-beyond. Such efforts haven't gone unrecognized, either, with the Christian Brothers of the Midwest granting Driscoll a reprieve until April 20th to not only raise $1 million, but also develop an acceptable plan for future fundraising efforts and a reorganization of the school's current board of directors. Nevertheless, advocates for Driscoll's continuing operations face an incredibly difficult uphill battle that holds in the balance not only a quality educational institution, but a dominant athletic program featuring one of the best football programs in the state of Illinois and a girl's basketball team which this past season finished 33-1 and won a Class 2A state title.