St. Vincent de Paul High School seeks to raise $500,000 to avert closure

St. Vincent de Paul High School may face closure if the school doesn’t raise $500,000 by March 30, according to an online fundraiser created last week.

“We received the heartbreaking news that our school faces closure by the end of the 2023-24 school year unless we raise $500,000 by March 30th, 2024 to cover a temporary operating deficit,” the fundraiser states. The deficit, it adds, “is primarily salaries and benefits for our loyal and dedicated teachers and staff. Much of this financial shortfall is the direct result of increased need for tuition assistance to our most deserving students.”

The GoFundMe page, launched Monday, Feb. 5, had raised more than $70,000 as of Tuesday, Feb. 13. That includes one donation, sent anonymously, for $31,859.

The appeal for funds comes after school officials announced plans in early December to become an independent Catholic school, signaling the end of 106 years of St. Vincent de Paul Parish leadership since its opening in 1918.

The latest online fundraiser follows a previous fundraiser announced by the school to raise $3 million via DonorBox to support the school’s shift toward independence. That fell well short of its goal, raising just over $26,000 as of last week.

The school has undergone numerous changes this school year, beginning with the sudden departure of Principal Patrick Daly in late August. It was alleged soon afterward by St. Vincent de Paul Church’s pastor, Fr. Bill Donahue, that Daly spent tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges on a school credit card, a claim Daly denied.

Daly was temporarily replaced by Donahue until St. Vincent math teacher Tony Greco was appointed interim principal in September.

Aside from the administrative upheaval, the St. Vincent High School football team won the state championship in December, a school first. The team was celebrated with a parade in downtown Petaluma.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennifer Sawhney at 707-521-5346 or jennifer.sawhney@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @sawhney_media.