iradiophilly | News - Bishop McDevitt and Hallahan Closing This Year; Men Shot in Barbershop; Cigar Lounge Robbed on Video

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Bishop McDevitt and Hallahan Closing This Year; Men Shot in Barbershop; Cigar Lounge Robbed on Video

by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA
started: 11/18/20 4:22 pm | updated: 11/18/20 4:22 pm

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced on Wednesday, 11/18, that John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls' High School in Philadelphia and Bishop McDevitt High School in Wyncote will be closed at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 academic year. The recommendation to close both schools followed an exhaustive sustainability study of all Archdiocesan secondary schools this past summer by Faith in the Future. Hallahan and Bishop McDevitt are operating at 36% and 40% of enrollment capacity, respectively. Enrollment is expected to continue to decline which would raise tuition rapidly to cover costs.

"Today is one of great sadness," said Archbishop Nelson PÃ©rez. "Catholic education is a precious gift that bears lifelong fruit to all those who receive it. The closure of any Catholic school is deeply painful, most especially for the students, teachers, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters so intimately connected to them. I know that today's announcement will weigh heavily on every member of the Hallahan and McDevitt school communities. I share in that grief. Understanding that this moment is one of extreme difficulty, I pledge that we will provide every possible assistance during this transition and that the rich legacy of these schools will be upheld. I have an obligation to ensure that each of our students is being provided with the best educational experience possible and that their teachers and coaches are provided with the resources to fulfill that mission. Given circumstances, those resources were depleting rapidly and could not be restored. My prayers are with all of you and my heartfelt gratitude goes out to our school families for choosing the gift of Catholic education as well as the faculty, administrators, and staff working each day to provide it."

"Individualized transition plans will be created for students, and our faculty and staff are committed to supporting them every step of the way," said Sister Maureen Lawrence McDermott, I.H.M, Ph.D., Chief Academic Officer and Superintendent of Secondary Schools, Archdiocese of Philadelphia. "We will coordinate with other diocesan schools to hold open houses and provide important information so students can make informed transfer decisions. Every effort will be undertaken to help families impacted by these closures be in a position to continue their student's education at the Archdiocesan school of their choice."

SEE Full Press Release: Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Faith in the Future Announce Results of Ongoing Strategic Study Initiative: John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls' High School and Bishop McDevitt High School to Close at the Conclusion of the 2020-2021 Academic Year

Two men were shot and injured in a barber shop on Tuesday night, 11/17, in Germantown. It happened around 9:40 p.m. on the 5100 block of Germantown Avenue. A 28-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and left leg. An 18-year-old man was shot in his left hand. Both men were sitting in a barber's chair waiting for a cut when shots came through the shop's front window. There were eight other people inside at the time, but no other injuries were reported. The two victims are recovering at the hospital. The investigation is ongoing.

Philadelphia police are searching for four suspects who broke into a cigar lounge in Northeast Philadelphia last month. It was caught on surveillance video. The incident happened on October 27 around 3 a.m. at Smoker's Zone on the 6800 block of Rising Sun Avenue. Video shows the suspects break in through the front door of the business. They took an unknown amount of merchandise and fled in a sedan. If you have any information, contact Northeast Detective Division at 215-686-3153/3154.