SAGINAW — Saginaw Area Catholic Schools will merge from four schools to two after Bishop Joseph R. Cistone approved the SACS Board of Trustees' recommendation last month.

The SACS Board of Trustees recommended consolidating its four elementary/middle schools—St. Helen, SS. Peter & Paul, St. Stephen and St. Thomas Aquinas — into two buildings.

Effective March 2, preschool through eighth grade students will attend either St. Stephen School or St. Thomas Aquinas School.

Erin Looby Carlson, director of marketing and communications for the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, said St. Stephen and St. Thomas Aquinas can easily handle the additional students. Currently, St. Thomas has an enrollment of 349 students. St. Stephen has 285 students. St. Helen has 96, while SS. Peter and Paul have 61 students.

All staff will be retained for the remainder of the current school year. The faculty and staff from St. Helen and SS. Peter & Paul schools will follow their students to either St. Stephen School or St. Thomas Aquinas School to facilitate a smooth transition.

“Merging schools in March has many advantages for children,” said Irene Hensinger, SACS Regional Superintendent in a press release. “It will give children an opportunity to build new relationships, become comfortable in a different building and involved in school activities. Studies indicate it is often easier, socially and academically, for children to adjust to a new situation during the school year. The children can then enjoy their new friends over the summer and look forward to returning to school in September.”
  
The consolidation will position Saginaw Area Catholic Schools to be able to strengthen existing programs, maximize resources, expand academic offerings and secure the future of Catholic education in the Saginaw community. An estimated $750,000 will be saved annually, beginning July 2010, through the school consolidation. 

“I am convinced that Catholic schools remain our strongest means of forming, developing, and educating our youth,” Bishop Cistone said. “The strength of our Church is dependent upon our ability to provide quality and affordable Catholic education. I have pledged and continue to pledge my personal commitment to do everything within my power to maintain a strong Catholic school program for our diocese.”

The Saginaw Area Catholic School system, which includes the elementary/middle schools and Nouvel Catholic Central High School, is home to nearly 1,300 students.

Looby Carlson said that the future use of the school buildings associated with St. Helen and SS. Peter and Paul will be determined by each parish.