Cathedral High School has remained boarded on Surrey Road since a tornado struck in 2011, with the delay triggering complaints from many residents.
SPRINGFIELD – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield continues to freeze any plans for demolition or reconstruction of Cathedral High School as it pursues federal disaster aid for damage caused by the tornado of 2011, a spokesman said Friday.
Mark Dupont, diocesan spokesman, said there have been ongoing, extensive discussions with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that will determine the amount of disaster aid that will be made available to any school construction efforts. Both FEMA and the diocese hope the disaster aid will be resolved in February, he said.
“Unfortunately, until this process is completed, little work including demolition can begin,” Dupont said.
Cathedral, located on Surrey Road, has been boarded since struck by a tornado on June 1, 2011. The school has been housed at a temporary, rented site in Wilbraham since the tornado.
Many residents have criticized the diocese for the long-standing damage that is visible on the Surrey Road site in East Forest Park. In addition, many residents have been critical of the diocese for failing to announce any definitive plans to rebuild the school.
There is also an online petition drive, launched by students, urging the diocese to rebuild Cathedral.
Dupont said the rebuilding decision hinges in part on the FEMA settlement, and will also depend on the success of a tuition fund drive that is taking place to subsidize tuition costs and help ensure the financial stability of the high school.
Under FEMA’s public assistance guidelines, Cathedral qualifies for disaster aid as a “Private Non-Profit facility” that serves as an educational mission open and available to all, Dupont said.
Cathedral did receive a $50 million settlement from its insurance company in September for tornado damage to the high school and other diocese buildings.
In addition, Cathedral has approximately $1 million set aside in an endowment for the tuition subsidies, including more than $100,000 in formal pledges and cash received in recent months ahead of a formal fund drive, said Ann Southworth, president of Cathedral. The balance is from scholarships and tuition assistance funds donated over the years, she said.
“I am optimistic, very optimistic, that Cathedral will be back on Surrey Road,” Southworth said.
Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell has stated the diocese cannot continue to subsidize deficits at the school, leading to the fund drive effort to raise $10 million for the tuition fund.
The diocese is in the process of setting up a steering committee to raise the funds, and the formal kick-off to the campaign may occur by late February, Southworth said.
Cathedral currently has 240 students, but Southworth said the number is understandably low at the present, given the hardships and uncertainty.
Dupont said the diocese understands the concerns from the neighborhood about the condition of the property on Surrey Road, but was instructed by FEMA to maintain the site at this time.
“We have begun the planning for site work so that once we get clearance it can begin without further delay,” Dupont said.