The following comes from a June 15 story in the Morgan Hill Times.
The Santa Clara County Local Formation Commission voted 6-1 June 1 to reject a reconsideration of the diocese of San Jose’s request to annex 38 acres into the city limits of Morgan Hill in order to build St. John XXIII College Preparatory High School.
Commissioner Mike Wasserman, who serves as South County’s representative on the Board of Supervisors, made the motion to reconsider the project, which [the commission] previously rejected at the March 11 meeting when it was presented as part of the city’s Southeast Quadrant plan.
Wasserman said he was “disappointed” that his colleagues overruled him.
“I thought the applicant should have had the opportunity to present their case,” Wasserman said. “I’m a huge advocate for education, and to bring another high school to the county. The actual vote was for reconsideration, so we never even go to vote on the merits of the high school being there.”
The diocese asked the commission to reconsider the March 11 vote in which a motion to approve the portion of the city’s 215-acre proposal that contained the high school project failed on a 4-3 vote.
If the June 1 vote had shifted in their favor, the diocese would have been given a chance to present its case to extend the city’s Urban Service Area around the 38 acres it owns near the intersection of Tennant and Murphy avenues. This is where they plan to build the new high school, which would be built in phases to eventually accommodate up to 1,600 students. The June 1 application also requested inclusion of three parcels adjacent to the diocese’ site, totaling 22 acres. These are owned by other private parties who do not yet have specific plans for the sites. They were included with the diocese’s application in order to form a contiguous boundary for annexation….
The Diocese of San Jose currently has one diocesan owned and operated Catholic high school: Archbishop Mitty. If that school is any indication of what sort of Catholic school the proposed new college preparatory would be, the land would better serve God and the Church as a vacant lot. Bishop McGrath isn’t known for a high level of engagement or concern about the Catholic character of his Catholic schools. Wouldn’t be long before the new school would have a “gay-straight” alliance and rock music at liturgies and faculty who openly flout Catholic morality and doctrine and theology teachers who teach liberalism as if it were Catholic faith.
I believe the school would have been named St. John XXIII because Pope John XXIII was recently canonized as a Saint (along with St. Junipero Serra) by Pope Francis. Thanks be to God!
First, why did the Diocese by the property in the first place? Presumably they knew where the city limits are. Second, the article fails to indicate why the school wants to be inside the city. What’s wrong with the governmental unit under which the property is now located?
If my memory serves me….Bishop Daly was the one spearheading the development of the new high school! And I believe it was going to be the ‘real deal’ as far as Catholicism goes……anything he is involved in……is TRULY CATHOLIC!
But, sadly for us…..he was moved to the state of Washington:(
Better to read more of the story, tho even this report but scratches the surface. They’re gonna cry over 30 acres lost to ag? Something else is going on. Can’t imagine the public school lobby wants at 1,600 student Catholic School.
https://www.morganhilltimes.com/news/lafco-rejects-catholic-high-school-again/article_49194142-334f-11e6-8671-b39f83f27bfd.html