Student attendance in the ten Archdiocesan high schools located in the City of Philadelphia* averaged 93% most days this week; as parents, teachers and administrators worked together to get students to school each day.

Ms. Mary E. Rochford, Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said, "It has been extremely gratifying to see that despite the SEPTA strike, daily attendance figures at our Archdiocesan high schools have been well above 90 percent. I am proud of our administrators, teachers and staff and, in a special way, our parents and students, for their determined efforts to find an alternate means of transportation to school at this difficult time. I am also most thankful to everyone for their dedication and sacrifice."

Approximately 75 percent of Archdiocesan students are eligible to receive transpasses to ride Septa buses or subways to school. This week, parents arranged carpools, students rode trains and walked blocks or even miles to school. One student walked eight miles from his home to Roman Catholic High School in center city Philadelphia. "To see such amazing daily attendance figures is the best feedback we, as educators, can receive regarding the value being placed on Catholic Education," said Ms. Rochford. "We have learned through the years that it is tough times such as these that bring out the best in our faculty, students and parents."


Attendance Week of November 2, 2009
Attendance for Tuesday, November 3, 2009 averaged 80 percent
Attendance for Wednesday, November 4, 2009 averaged 93 percent
Attendance for Thursday, November 5, 2009 averaged 93 percent
Attendance for Friday, November 6, 2009 averaged 93 percent