The merger of Msgr. Julian Benoit Academy with St. John the Baptist School in Fort Wayne is a sound and necessary educational decision, but we make it with a heavy heart. Benoit has been a great success story. Founded in 1994, Benoit itself came from the merger of three Catholic schools — St. Patrick, Sacred Heart and St. Henry. At the outset, it consisted of 320 children. This year there are 73 students. A committee appointed by me, with the help of our Catholic Schools Office, recommended that we make every effort to place these students, Catholic and non-Catholic, at St. John's and other Catholic schools in the area. The two main reasons were financial and educational, the educational being the most important.
The school, which was once a leader educationally, has not been able to return to that level. Some classes have less than five students. This is not educationally sound. Students do better when they interact with a reasonably healthy number of other students. This provides a healthy climate, for which Catholic school tradition is known.
One of the best things about Benoit is its diverse student body. The same is true, although to a lesser extent, at St. John the Baptist School. We believe that both schools can be helped by bringing them together.
For the current year, the diocese has granted $148,000 to Benoit Academy. This is over and above the tuition the students pay and the amount Catholic parishes are assessed for their parishioners. While $20,000 of this came from the twinning program of other parishes, the rest, $128,000, came from various programs in the diocese. It became evident to me, after serious study by our committee, that such funds can be used to help a larger number of students, including those who now attend Benoit.
Despite these large grants from the diocese, the debt of Benoit Academy to the diocese from July 1, 2004, through Jan. 1, 2008, is $319,284.
A bishop must be a good steward. It is my obligation to see that our funds are used properly. I believe that we can use our special funds in a way that will help more children and create stronger Catholic schools in the area.
This year from the Legacy of Faith Endowment, $40,500 was given to Benoit Academy. This was the largest amount given to any Catholic school in our diocese. Next year these funds will remain with the students presently at Benoit. In other words, for the following educational year the funds will follow these students and help them to be placed in nearby Catholic schools, especially St. John's, and will assist them in tuition grants. Forty percent of the children are Catholic and 60 percent are non-Catholic. We will do our best to place every one of them in nearby Catholic schools; and following our regular policies, we will do our best to see that the teachers are also placed in other Catholic schools.
I thank all those who have made Benoit such a fine school these many years. I make this decision with regret, but knowing that it is the right decision for the best education of the students involved. For next year, the funds available from Legacy of Faith will follow the students from Benoit, helping to place them in a good Catholic educational environment. We can help more students and also stop the ever-increasing debt to the diocese, and the students now at Benoit will have an increased opportunity for an even better Catholic school education. In light of all these factors, I could make no other decision.
