Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | March 2, 2020 | Worcester Business Journal 9 UniBank's team of business experts provide customized solutions that help you meet the modern-day demands of running a business. Our comprehensive suite of products and services, including our UniPay Online Payment solution, were designed to provide businesses the competitive edge needed to strategically navigate fi nancial challenges. You be you. You you. bank Member FDIC/Member DIF Contact one of our experts or visit unibank.com to fi nd out more. Kristy L. Genga AVP, UniPay Business Sales Offi cer 508.849.4245 Todd Mandella SVP, Senior Commercial Lender 508.849.4253 Lemonia Mironidis VP, Branch Manager Worcester 508.756.0807 Tom McGregor SVP, Chief Commercial Lending Offi cer 508.849.4340 Private-school enrollment is generally down across Central Massachusetts. The 15 largest schools by enrollment in 2010: Private-school enrollment Note: N/A = Not available. Sources: Each school via WBJ survey; Massachusetts Department of Education official in the diocese, approved a split with the school following what the church called a fiscally responsible business plan for St. Bernard's to allow it to be financially independent. As a standalone private school, St. Bernard's will no longer have the diocese for financial help. But school boosters are confident they'll have enough backing of their own. e Bernardian Foundation's fundraising drive kicked off last fall and within 24 hours got a six-figure anonymous donation. e drive surpassed $1 million within four months, and supporters hope to reach $2 million within five years. "e easy part comes first," said Greg Moran, a commercial real estate consultant for Aubuchon Hardware in Westminster. "Aer the first $1 million, the hard work starts." Finding future success Becoming an independent school requires setting up a new nonprofit entity as well as dropping "Central Catholic" from St. Bernard's formal name. e Central Catholic part of the school's name, if oen le out when mentioning St. Bernard's, was a formality signifying the former tie with the diocese. St. Bernard's will lease its Harvard Street property from the diocese for $1 a year. Enrollment doesn't need to return to its level from a generation ago in order to make the school solvent, its leaders say. ose working to save the school have looked for ideas to, among others, Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School in Fitchburg. e enrollment at Montachusett Regional of roughly 1,400 students is up one-fourth in the past two decades. St. Bernard's plans to begin offering various tracks of study – in business, engineering and health sciences next year, and eventually in psychology, computer science and others – like something a student would expect to find at a vocational school, along with junior-year internships. Still, St. Bernard's – which draws from across Northern Worcester County and into New Hampshire – isn't moving away from its Catholic identity and the values coming with an affiliation with a religious institution. "It's not that we need to change," Moran said, calling it a matter of better selling the school's strengths to potential students. "Communicate is the effective word." 1 St. Johns High School, Shrewsbury 1,036 889 -14% 2 Worcester Academy 650 600 -8% 3 Holy Name Junior/Senior High School, Worcester 623 545 -13% 4 St. Peter Marian Junior/Senior High School, Worcester 602 377 -37% 5 Whitinsville Christian School 547 632 16% 6 St. Bernadette's School, Northborough 542 420 -23% 7 Bancroft School, Worcester 541 400 -26% 8 St. Bernard Central Catholic High School, Fitchburg 485 152 -69% 9 Fay School, Southborough 450 475 6% 10 Cushing Academy, Ashburnham 445 385 -13% 11 Lawrence Academy, Groton 399 394 -1% 12 St. Mark's School, Southborough 335 364 9% 13 St. Mary Central Catholic Elementary School, Worcester 301 N/A N/A 14 Academy of Notre Dame, Worcester 300 176 -41% 15 Lilliput Early Childhood Center, Shrewsbury 282 179 -37% Enrollment Enrollment Percent Rank School in 2010 in 2018 Change W

• Cover