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St. Peter Claver school confronts financial woes

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By KATHY STEELE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 28, 2009

TAMPA - The view from the St. Peter Claver Catholic School doorstep changed two years ago when the worn-out public housing complex across the street was torn down.

Instead of a community there is vacant land locked behind a chain-link fence and filled with weeds, scrub and dirt piles. Central Park Village was razed to make way for a mixed-use modern housing complex of apartments, high-rises and shops.

But all that promise was stopped in its tracks by the real-estate bust. City officials and bankers are trying to pull together funding from state and federal grants.

So St. Peter Claver's red-brick school house sits nearly alone, tucked away on a brick-paved street off Nebraska Avenue. Founded in 1894 by a Jesuit priest, it is Florida's oldest black parochial school. Across the street Paradise Baptist Missionary Church awaits its promised future as a museum.

Times have been hard for this inner-city school which, at its peak in the 1950s, had about 300 students.

"I think we are on our own," said Sister Maria Babatunde, who is in her second year as principal.
In recent years school officials say a bad economy has sent some students back to public or charter schools.

One of the hardest blows came last year when the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg cut more than $250,000 from the school's budget. It was part of an overall budget slashing for inner-city grade schools. While the diocese does provide tuition assistance for Catholic students, less than a handful of the 85 students are Catholic.

The school's financial aid program continues to provide scholarships to most students.
"It hurts," Babatunde said. "This is a school that has been here for over 115 years."

To fill the large gap from lost diocese funds, school officials are reaching out to the community for donations and applying for grants. Babatunde also hopes to enroll 20 to 100 more students. For the long term, she would like to establish an endowment fund.

Ronica Golden, 11, is a fifth grader at St. Peter Claver, eagerly wagging her arm when science teacher Alyssa Rucker asks a question. "It's a great school," Golden said. "It helps you with everything you need to know. I like their uniforms."

In history class she learned about the Jesuit priest who founded the school. "He did a lot of things to help slaves," Golden said.

The original school building on Morgan Street was burned down and a sign posted with the message that a "Negro school" was not wanted. The current two-story red brick building opened at Scott and Governor streets in 1929.

Students who attended St. Peter Claver include actress Butterfly McQueen, minister Abe Brown, educator Blanche Armwood, federal Judge Charles R. Wilson, Detroit Lions general manager and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Martin Mayhew, and retired Col. Robert Warren.

Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees has been a donor.

St. Peter Claver Church and parents have rallied to save the school. "They are holding us together," Babatunde said.

Fliers have been handed out door-to-door in nearby neighborhoods; pleas have gone out on radio talk shows.

"We can't afford to have the school falter," said advisory board member Sonja Garcia. "We're trying to get the word out. We need funds and we need students."

The advisory board is a first for St. Peter Claver. A Parent/Teacher Association also is thriving.
Garcia's husband, Rigoberto Garcia, is a 1948 graduate of St. Peter Claver and a retired principal of Gary Adult High School. In his day, black Cuban-American children walked from Ybor City to the school, Sonja Garcia said.

In recent years students have come from all over the county.
But Garcia said the hope is that in two or three years construction will bring new homes and families will return.

"I just want this for all our children," Garcia said. "It gave my husband and others the foundation to be the man he is today."

For information, call St. Peter Claver at (813) 224-0865.

Reporter Kathy Steele can be reached at (813) 259-7652.

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