St. Vincent de Paul High School in Petaluma readies for title change

St. Vincent de Paul High School in Petaluma issued layoff notices March 1 in a “procedural step” as it transitions from a parish-run to independently run institution, school leaders said.

Even though the 60-day notification issued to local and state officials – a requirement of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act – contained language stating that “The entire school will be closed” on May 1 and “This action is expected to be permanent,” the 106-year-old Catholic school is not planning to permanently close just yet.

“Under the WARN Act law, it is considered a layoff/closure if a separate entity takes over because of the change in ownership,” a state Employment Development Department spokesperson told the Argus-Courier.

The notification “is based on the best information currently available to us, but may change due to subsequent events beyond our control,” St. Vincent leaders wrote in the March 1 letter addressed to Petaluma Mayor Kevin McDonnell, Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt, county Workforce Investment Board Director Katie Greaves and the state EDD.

School leaders first announced plans to separate from the diocese late last year, signaling the end of leadership under the St. Vincent Parish. An 11-member interim school board made up of eight parents and three community members has been overseeing the transition since then.

In early February, the school launched an online fundraiser seeking $500,000 by March 30 to cover operating expenses through June 30. Failure to raise enough funds could mean the school would close before the end of the school year, school leaders said. As of March 10, the GoFundMe page titled “Save St. Vincent de Paul High School” had raised $141,760.

But the WARN notice is a legal requirement and not necessarily tied to the fundraising efforts.

“While we are transitioning from a diocesan Catholic school to an independent institution, it's important to understand that the school is not closing its doors,” said Diocese of Santa Rosa Superintendent Adrian Peterson in a Friday email.

“The independent school is embarking on a new chapter that retains Catholic core values and commitment to excellence in education. The issuance of WARN notices is a procedural step in the process of this transition,” Peterson said.

St. Vincent school board members would not comment on the WARN notice and deferred questions to Superintendent Peterson.

The Diocese of Santa Rosa directly oversees Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa. Nine parish-run schools currently operate under the diocese, including St. Vincent de Paul Elementary School in Petaluma, which has no immediate plans to separate from the diocese like its sister school.

St. Vincent High School appears to be planning to finish out the school year normally. Its online calendar still shows June 7 as the last day of the school year, and on Thursday the school’s state championship-winning football team posted its 2024 season schedule.

In a March 3 message to parishioners of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, the Rev. Bill Donahue wrote that “An independent group of parents, benefactors and supporters has been working to take over and operate SVHS as an independent Catholic school. They have my blessing and support, and that of Bishop (Robert) Vasa. We are now in negotiations over a lease to the new administration.”

He continued, “There are legal requirements for giving notice to employees, the city of Petaluma and the state of California. Out of an abundance of caution, the Diocesan Department of Catholic Schools and I are making this announcement a month (or two) before it is absolutely required. Even if SVHS passes to new leadership, it must first be completely closed by the parish, and only then reopened as a new entity.”

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