Kate Nocera

Click to view a photo slideshow of St. Barbara's parish in Bushwick

Parents in low-income communities rarely have the opportunity to choose where their kids go to school. A Catholic church in Bushwick, Brooklyn is trying to change that. Fully funded by a sole anonymous donor, the new Catholic elementary school, Pope John Paul II Family Academy, will offer low-income families an alternative to public school: tuition free.

“I want to try something different,” said Esmeralda Lopez, 35, who plans to enroll her son Joey into kindergarten this fall.  “My son is a handful, so I think it will do him good.”  Lopez a mother of six boys, thinks the school is a chance at a better education: more individual attention, smaller classes, and more disciplined school day.

“We’re looking for a school that really interacts and cares. I’d rather them call me 100 times a week because there’s problems than not call me at all,” said Lopez’s husband, Joseph Candelaria, 36.

However, there is a catch; families must prove to be faithful Catholics by attending mass every Sunday.  Children must be able to provide a baptismal certificate from a Catholic church and the application process includes a covenant, a signed agreement promising the family’s commitment to the Catholic faith.

Click on the photo to watch an audio slideshow about Esmeralda Lopez and her husband Joseph Candelaria's decision to try and get their son Joey into Pope John Paul II Family Academy.

“We don’t want someone who has a baptismal certificate with fresh ink, that’s not the point,” said Soren Gutierrez, a representative for the benefactor of the school. “Part of this is about rejuvenating faith but it’s also about giving free education to the most deserving.”

In Bushwick, where 32 percent of residents earn less than $19,000 a free parochial school is viewed as a welcome addition.

The benefactor, a wealthy Brooklyn businessman chose St. Barbara’s parish because of the need in the community, the church attendance records, and the fact that many Bushwick families remain intact.

With more than 1,200 parishioners at St. Barbara’s, mostly immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Ecuador, the community has already shown a strong interest in the school.

“It will change the community for the better,” said Father Fulgencio Gutierrez, pastor of St. Barbara’s and Head Chaplin of the incoming school. “The whole family is going to be formed, going to be reshaped, and they are going to continue to form and reshape the children . . .It also helps me to evangelize the parents to be more active in the church.

Gutierrez said he distributed more than 300 applications to members of his parish and others parishes in Bushwick.  The school will be selective, only accepting 100 children for pre-k through 3rd grade in the first year.

Marisol and Jorge Agron talk about the benefits of the new school in a struggling community like Bushwick. Marisol adds her thoughts on the school's requirement that the entire family attend church.

Immigrant families will have the opportunity to apply without fear of penalty.

“As long as they meet the financial and faith requirements, any family is welcome to apply,” said Soren Gutierrez, “We just want to educate the children of the community regardless of their immigration status.”

There is a significant amount of work that needs to be done before the new school can open.  The basement of the building needs to be renovated.  The families need to be interviewed and selected and teachers need to be hired.

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The new school will be housed blocks away from parish in a building owned by St. Barbara’s. Currently it serves as the home of a Head Start pre-school.

By June, 106 children and their families, many of whom have already been placed on waiting lists, will have to find another early educational alternative.  Some of the families have applied to the new school, but many are not of the Catholic faith and will struggle to find another free program close to home.

Parochial schools have faced a significant decline in recent years and it is surprising that a new one would be opening free of charge.

The benefactor is providing around $2 million to fund the school in its first year, but then plans to diversify fundraising as the school grows.

“I think he is in it for the long run,” said Father Gutierrez.  “And pray that he is.”