Study: Written policies, online database stand out among U.S. dioceses

Detroit — In a recent study examining the management of closed and former Catholic school buildings by U.S. dioceses, the Archdiocese of Detroit was found to be among the most organized and efficient, ensuring the use of such buildings benefits the overall mission of the local Church.

The study, “Building Assets: The Strategic Use of Closed Catholic Schools,” by the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education, examined the use and repurposing of former Catholic school buildings from 1965 to 2010 and suggested ways for dioceses to better manage real estate assets. The study’s authors conducted interviews with representatives from 10 U.S. dioceses and archdioceses, including Detroit.

The Archdiocese of Detroit was one of just two surveyed that had written policies in place governing the use of former Catholic school buildings, and earned praise for its organized, updated online database of properties available for sale or lease.

Of importance to the study was not only how former Catholic school buildings and properties are being used to benefit the local Church, but also the policies in place regarding leases to charter school operators. Although many leasing arrangements to outside groups benefit the Church, the study’s authors noted that leasing to charter operators could create competition if other Catholic schools are operating nearby.

Though Detroit has experienced a significant growth in interest from charter school operators in recent years, the Archdiocese of Detroit’s policy seeks to keep archdiocesan-owned buildings benefitting the mission of the local Church even when those buildings are leased to charter school operators. According to the study’s authors, the policy “stipulates that when a parish rents a facility to a charter entity, a percentage of charter rental income, estimated to be 15 percent, is collected by the archdiocese” to benefit existing Catholic schools, the local vicariate or other special projects.

“Blanket refusal of all leasing to charter schools does not serve the overall mission of the Church, for it may leave idle precious resources that could be used to support all of the Church’s ministries, including schools,” the study’s authors write. “It is difficult to imagine, however, a scenario where it would be helpful to the Church’s overall mission for a diocese to lease closed Catholic schools to charter operators when Catholic schools are operating nearby.”

In addition to raising revenue for other archdiocesan purposes, leases to charter operators in the Archdiocese of Detroit also often led to the charter schools making significant building improvements, including upgrades to properties in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the study found.

The study noted that, overall, 25 percent of available buildings in the 10 dioceses surveyed had been sold, 22 percent had been leased, and 18 percent had been designated for another use by the local parish. Although just 7 percent of closed school buildings were reported as vacant and 4 percent as demolished, data could not be verified as to the use of the remaining 24 percent.

Individual statistics for the Archdiocese of Detroit were not available, although former school buildings in the archdiocese have been leased to charter operators, corporations, public school systems and designated for parish use.