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| By G. Michael Dobbs Managing Editor CHICOPEE The president of Elms College explained the idea of moving Holyoke Catholic High School (HCHS) to the former Assumption School site on Springfield Street came from a belief that the future of Catholic education is in creating partnerships. The Elms College and the Diocese of Springfield issued a joint statement on May 1 that Elms President Dr. James Mullen, Jr. had submitted a recommendation that HCHS be moved to the site of the former Assumption School about a block from the Elms campus. The new HCHS would be an "early college high school," which would allow high school juniors and seniors to take college-credit classes at Elms. Mullen noted in an interview with the Chicopee Herald that both HCHS and Elms College share a similar history of being founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph. He added that he learned the importance of building partnerships while at Trinity College in Hartford. Trinity College cooperated in projects with Hartford Hospital and the adjoining neighborhoods that improved that area of Hartford. Mullen said that "too often colleges are islands onto themselves" and that is "the wrong lesson." Elms College already has a partnership with the Holy Name School in Chicopee. Once Elms celebrates its 2006 commencement, Mullen said college officials would begin a feasibility plan on their proposal. There are other early college high schools in the nation and Mullen said he would look at these schools to examine their programs and practices. Bishop Timothy McDonnell has said that HCHS would remain for one more school year at its temporary location of St. Hyacinth's Seminary in Granby and Mullen expressed his thanks to the bishop for that decision. Supporters of the school were able to raise only $2.5 million of the $9 million needed to build a new school in Granby by the due date, threatening the existence of the school. According to a report on the HCHS web site, there have been 29 locations 21 in Holyoke, one in West Springfield, three in South Hadley, two in Granby, one in Easthampton and one in Southampton all evaluated and rejected for various reasons. To this date, no locations in Chicopee have been considered. McDonnell has submitted the proposal to the "Committee of the Whole" for review. The committee is made up of HCHS Board of Trustees, the Diocesan School Board and a special Blue Ribbon Commission on Catholic education. McDonnell has requested that a professional education facilitator from outside western Massachusetts assist the committee in their work. HCHS parents were informed of the proposal on May 1. |