More students, funding boost school's chances Our Lady of Lourdes sees lots of hope, support as school year begins BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer At left: Students at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Milltown arrive for the first day of school Tuesday as Sister Maria looks on. At right: Robin Callahan walks with her son, Tyler, 5, and other students. MILLTOWN - Community and parish members at Our Lady of Lourdes have combined efforts to ensure that the new school year will not be the last for the Catholic school. A variety of fundraising events to be held this year are projected to bring about $110,000 into the budget for the school, whose financial struggles nearly forced it to close after the 2005-06 school year. "We fully expect that we'll remain open in the future," said Tom Olson, president of the School Advisory Council and parent of four alumni and one current student at the school, located on Cleveland Avenue. Parish and school advisory committees constructed a plan to save the school last spring after the Diocese of Metuchen began considering the shutdown. Along with fundraising, the diocese-approved plan also involves efforts to increase enrollment through promotions and events such as open houses, mailings and advertisements. PHOTOSBY JEFF GRANIT staff Apparently, the plan is working. Enrollment is up from last year, with the total number of students from prekindergarten through eighth grade at 166 as of last week. That number was around 130 last year. The school's curriculum has been enhanced for the coming year, with a new writing program and other program expansions, according to Ellen Ayoub, superintendent of schools for the diocese. The first fundraising event of the school year will be the Fall Festival, running Sept. 29 through Oct. 1. Other fundraisers will include a casino night, a yard sale, a dart tournament, and several dances and raffles throughout the year. "It's too early to say how the fundraising is going, but we're very optimistic," said Joann Ward, director of communications for the diocese. At the parish level, contributions to weekly church collections have increased in line with awareness of the school's financial issues. The collections, which were typically between $4,000 and $6,000 each week, are now totaling between $7,000 and $9,000, according to Tammy Sullivan, a parish member and parent of two students. An Our Lady of Lourdes student pulls his gear through a row of backpacks where children line up for the first day of school. As of now, the school is meeting the financial goals set for it by the diocese. By the end of January, a concrete decision is expected regarding the future of the school. The school, one of 49 operated by the Diocese of Metuchen, opened in 1942. Sullivan said there has been an increase in parental involvement to keep the school alive. Her family has a generations-old history with the school, as her mother and grandmother both attended. Now, Sullivan is a member of the Home School Association, while her husband serves as chairman of the School Finance Committee and her father is on the parish committee. "Our Lady of Lourdes is as much a part of our family as any one of us. We don't want to lose the school, and we'll fight to keep it open," Sullivan said. For more information about Our Lady of Lourdes, call the school office at (732) 828-1951.