By STEPHEN BEALE
 

GOFFSTOWN - Villa Augustina is on its way to registering enough students next year to open as a private Catholic school.

For 90 years, the combined elementary-middle school has been run by the Religious of Jesus and Mary, but this summer the order will end its affiliation. Parents are close to raising $400,000 for repairing the school and St. Anselm College has promised to help find another $400,000 to buy it, starting with a $100,000 donation from the Benedictine monks at St. Anselm.

Kathy Mainzer, a spokesperson for the Religious of Jesus and Mary, praised the progress parents have made since December, when the order announced its plans.

"The parents really have a lot on their hands and they're doing a great job pulling together," Mainzer said. "We're thrilled with the support they're receiving."

The spirited campaign to save the school could have fizzled if parent leaders did not convince other parents to re-enroll their children for the upcoming academic year. Enrollment had already taken a hit, losing almost 70 students from last year, when doubts about the school's future surfaced.

Concerns about a possible continued exodus of families dissipated last Friday, the official registration deadline. So far, 134 children are enrolled in preschool through eighth grade, said Principal Jack Daniels.

While enrollment remains below the goal of 200 set by the Villa Augustina Leadership Transition Team, it's consistent with the past. At the start of this year, the school had registered 255 students, but more than half were late in registering. By March 9, 2007, only 134 students were committed to coming back, according to Gary Bouchard, a spokesman for parents.

"So we are feeling confident that we are on track to meet or surpass our goal of enrolling 200 students for the fall of 2008," said Carol Barrett, leadership team chairman. "We are very encouraged that, given the uncertainty families have had to endure, we have been able to reach a number that is the same or better as this time last year."

The families of about 90 students who have not made their intentions clear will be getting follow-up calls in coming weeks, Daniels said. He added it's common for registrations to increase in spring and summer.

The Religious of Jesus and Mary settled another key question last week, regarding the future of the ballfields next to Villa Augustina. The order has been leasing the fields to the town for $1 a year for recreational programs.

The ballfields, located at the corner of Normand and Mast roads, are not part of the land the religious order would sell to parents, but Mainzer said that would not affect use by the town. "They have no intention of changing their arrangement with the town in the near future," Mainzer said.
 

Reproduced by the Goffstown Residents Association.