To Survive, a Catholic School Retools for a Wealthier Market
By JENNY ANDERSON
Published: August 19, 2012
Catholic schools have been bleeding enrollment and money for years, and many have been forced to close. But some, like St. Stephen of Hungary, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, have found a way to thrive — attracting a more affluent clientele by offering services and classes more commonly found in expensive private schools.
Librado Romero/The New York Times
The Rev. Angelo Gambatese, the pastor of St. Stephen of Hungary church, speaking to students of the St. Stephen school. The school, he said, expected to "achieve the same level of performance" as highly-rated private schools.
Selling points include small class sizes and extracurricular activities beginning in the youngest grades. And by often charging far less, these schools have been able to stabilize themselves and even grow.
“Our competition or our standard isn’t another good Catholic school,” said the Rev. Angelo Gambatese, the pastor at St. Stephen of Hungary church, which shares a