Manistee Catholic Central (MCC) High School, located in Manistee, Michigan, will be closing after 60 years of operation.  The Gaylord Diocese, of which the school is under, has announced that the school can no longer function in its current financial state and the doors will close in June with the 2024 graduating class being the last.  The news sent teachers, families with students, alumni and supporters of the school into a tailspin.  Upon further investigation of the information presented by the Diocese, it was evident that something was amiss.  Strong evidence shows that the Diocese may have mismanaged the finances of MCC for many years.

The Diocese presented information that it took at least 15 years (evidence shows it could be significantly longer) to get into this financial mess but only gave 9 weeks for the community to render a solution.  With such a short window of opportunity, the MCC faithful kicked it into gear to resolve the crisis.

Fund raising was successful in donations and pledges to keep the school open for an additional two years. This would give ample time to explore permanent solutions.

Three offers materialized out of this effort to take the responsibility and liability from the Diocese and into the hands of a more suitable  management group.

In addition to the noted efforts, a law suit has been filed for an investigation into the parish and diocese associated with the school pertaining to alleged misappropriation of funds.

Even with the aforementioned actions, the Diocese is hellbent on moving to close the school without offering any kind of leadership role of being solution oriented.

Therefore, it is the intent of this petition to exert pressure on the Diocese to reconsider their decision to close the school and become  proactive in finding ways to keep it open.  

Hopefully you can see the unfairness in this short narrative. Whether you are a family member of a student, an alumnus, a supporter of the school or someone who can see the travesty here, please add your signature to this petition. It is strength in numbers we seek to present to the Bishop of the Diocese to reconsider his actions and determine a more favorable outcome for the MCC faithful and the continuation of a functioning school.

Thank You! Your support by signing this petition is so much appreciated.