Since the news broke about the possible closure of Pope John XXIII, alumni, teachers, administrators and parents have raised almost $40,000 in an online fundraising effort.
This is a remarkable sum of money to raise in a week but far short of the $500,000 that must be raised to satisfy the Archdiocese.
School officials have remained mum about the door remaining open for another year, or for a future marked by better organization and vision.
By Lorenzo Recupero & Joe Prezioso
The battle cry of the Pope John Tigers roared loudly across the school’s auditorium Monday evening as hundreds of current students, administrators, alumni and local politicians offered their feelings, ideas, and support for how to keep the Catholic School open amidst a $1.5 million shortfall that threatens to shutter the school’s doors for good if the money isn’t handed over to the Archdiocese by May 23.
That leaves the school, which opened its doors 54 years ago, just 23 more days to come up with a colossal amount of money or the roughly 300 students attending now will be searching for an education elsewhere.
A Broward County Florida insurance firm-turned- ‘Ponzi scheme’ headed by the same man that bilked Pope John XXIII of about $1.5 million, cost Florida, policyholders $100 million, according to Florida investigators.
Philip Morgaman owes Pope John XXIII about $1.5 million after declaring a bankruptcy and failing to make his monthly payments according to his contract with the school.
His company provided the school with foreign students and with their boarding, which was very successful for a number of years. In the end, it appears Morgaman took the money from the students’ parents and failed to hand over to the school its fair share for educating them and for putting them up in the school dormitory. Only through the heroic actions of Carl DiMaiti has the school remained open this long.