Area Experiences New Interest In Parochial Schools

It's a paradox that at a time when many parochial schools are supposed to be in deep financial trouble and threatened with closing, private religious schools have started popping up around Washtenaw County. One local clergyman- a Reform rabbi who regards himself as a loyal supporter of public education- attributes the fresh interest in parochial schools to a growing public "disenchantment with the breakdown in discipline and the drug problem in the public schools." Many people- both Christians and Jews- are seeking other alternatives, he says. In Ypsilanti Township, a new Ypsilanti Baptist High School opened its doors today under the sponsorship of the Rawsonville Baptist Church, 2146 Moeller. Dr. James O. Phillips, pastor, says the school's "emphasis will be on patriotism, discipline and morals." So far, about 103 students have enrolled. In Dexter, the. Dexter Gospel Church has announced plans to build and operate a parochial school at the church site at 2253 Baker Rd. The pastor, Rev. Henry Campbell, says the school will serve pupils up through the fourth grade. Area Lutherans, meantime, are talking about building a Lutheran High School in the Area. In Ann Arbor, the Rev. Jon Schmugge, pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church at 1360 Pauline Blvd., which has operated a grade school for 48 pupils for the past 25 years, reports "there has been some talk and desire among our people to establish a high school in this area." Rev. Schmugge says there has been discussion of joining other Lutheran churches in the Wisconsin Synod to establish such a high school He added that he personally supported the idea Theodore Berg, principal o til Salem Lutheran Church School at 7455 Scio 1 Church Rd., which has 39 grade school pupils, says "it's the hope of many of the Lutheran churches in this area that I we'll get a high school." Rabbi Bruce S. Warshal of Temple Beth Emeth reports he has detected "a growing demand for parochial schools among Jews throughout the country because of disenchantment with the public schools'." What's behind the sudden interest in parochial schools at the very time such schools are staggering under inflationary pressures and rulings by courts cutting off parochiaid? "I don't think it's a racial thing," said Rabbi Warshal. "It's primarily because of the breakdown in discipline and the drug problem in the public schools. Warshal emphasized that he's "always been a firm supporter of public education as a g a i n s t private education." However he observed that "when discipline breaks down and people no longer feel the public school is a safe place to send their kids, then they start re-evaluating the advantages of public schools as against the advantages of parochial schools. The feedback I get is that the balance has changed, the scales have shifted, and many people are beginning to see the advantages of parochial schools." Orthodox Jewish congregations, notes Rabbi Warshal, have always had their own schools. But now, he notes, "there's also a trend in the Jewish community among Conservative and Reform congresations to open up parochial schools. I think the tendency to open them increases as the public school systems break down, especially in the big cities." Warshal adds: 'Tve had liberal parents come in and say to me: 'You know, I want to be liberal, but I fear for the safety of my child.' Just the other day, one of my parishioners with a fifth grader in the public schools came in and asked: 'Why don't you start a parochial school?' " At the present time, however, Temple Beth Emeth has no plans to start a parochial school, Warshal says. But, he adds, if the breakdown in public school discipline continued, "it'll be a different ball game." Classes at St. Paul's Lutheran School began today, and Principal Alvin Richert expects an enrollment of 230. Mrs. Herbert Upton Jr. says she sends her daughter to the school because "there is a good mixture of discipline, firmness and love." Classes at the Seventh-Day Adventist School started Aug. 31, and Kenneth Eager, principal, reported 33 pupils had registered for grades kindergarten through eighth. The school is located at 2796 Packard Rd. Eager says there are plans to expand the elementary school, and "if we had the funds, we'd like to get a high school." The Catholic schools, St. Thomas and I St. Francis of Assisi, will also open Sept. I 7. Sister Marie Patrice, principal of St. Thomas Elementary School, expects a slight drop in enrollment. She estimates total enrollment will be 400. Leo Wagner, principal of St. Thomas High School, expects an enrollment of about 280, a decline of 40 students. Wagner attributes the increased interest in parochial schools to the desire of people to have "an alternative to public schools." Says Wagner: "People are still very much concerned and determined to preserve their opportunity for choice, even though the costs are getting prohibitive." Mrs. Cletus Iiott, who has three children enrolled at St. Thomas, says she sends them there because "we want them to learn some religion and also we like the discipline there." St. Francis of Assisi School expects an enrollment of 390 as compared to 354 last year, reports the new principal, Robert Stefanovich. The new Ypsilanti Baptist High School was formed, says Pastor Phillips, cause ir was "imperan ve mat a Christian High School be organized in the Ypsilanti area." Phillips says that "attending Ypsilanti Baptist High School is a privilege, and not a right. The goal of the school is to provide for the development of Christian character in the lives of those young people entrusted in our care." The Bible, says Phillips, will be taught at every grade level, as will basic Christian philosophy. The school, he adds, will also provide "wholesome social activities." The emphasis, he says, will be on "patriotism, discipline and morals." Tuition is $45 per month for one child, $75 per month for two children, and $100 per month for three children. There is no additional charge for the fourth child or more.