Future Uncertain for Ukrainian Catholic School in Village
by Mary Ann Poust

Officials of St. George Ukrainian Catholic parish are expected to meet with archdiocesan representatives within the next two weeks to discuss whether it's possible to save the financially struggling parish school in Manhattan's East Village.

"No decision has been made," said Sister Eileen Clifford, O.P., archdiocesan associate vicar for education, who has been talking with Father Patrick Paschak, O.S.B.M., the pastor. Father Paschak is also vicar general of the Ukrainian Catholic Diocese of Stamford, Conn., which has jurisdiction over the parish.

St. George Academy, with an enrollment of 240 students in kindergarten through high school, serves Ukrainian and Ukrainian-American children from throughout the metropolitan area with the mission of keeping alive their- culture and religious practice.

"We want to raise them in the Ukrainian rite," Father Paschak said.

However, about 100 of the students do not pay the $250-$330 monthly tuition because their families, new immigrants from Ukraine, cannot afford it, according to parents and the pastor.

For that reason, a $750,000 debt accumulated over the years, with no clear way to pay it nor to meet future expenses--leading the pastor to advise parents in September to seek other schools for their children next year.

But parents don't want the school to close and have formed a committee to try to find a plan to keep it going. The committee met for the first time Oct. 30.

Ed Price, a Manhattan resident whose son is a sophomore at St. George's high school, said the committee came up with several options which they will pursue.

They are: establishing an alumni association as a way to raise funds, raising tuition, increasing the number of students and seeking cooperation from the New York City Board of Education, which may be able to provide bus service or other special services.

"Some of these kids speak only Ukrainian, and they may be eligible for transportation assistance," Price said.

He said the committee discussed the possibility of a loan to stabilize the school's finances. Parents also plan to contact Ukrainian fraternal organizations and officials of the Ukrainian Catholic Church to ask for help.

"We're going to keep working on it. We may still be able to pull it out of the fire," Price said.