From the Blog of Andy Palumbo, WNEP News Reporter

May. 9th
It was one of those stories that didn't get a lot of attention because it happened on a very busy news day.

Saint Rose Academy in Mayfield has finally come up with the $3.5 million to buy its building in Mayfield. It means the two year old school has a solid future.

Saint Rose Academy was started after the Catholic Diocese of Scranton closed Sacred Heart High School in Carbondale. A lot of people worked very hard, with very little help, to get the new school up and running in a matter of months.

The fate of the school was in question for a while. Without ownership of the building, there was no sense of permanence. The principal told us he heard some parents were hesitant to send their children to Saint Rose because they weren't sure the school had a future. 70 children now receive their education at Saint Rose. That number is expected to increase because the school now has a foundation-- plus walls and a roof.

I've covered several stories at Saint Rose the past couple years, and the people there are a good bunch. They're open to us when times are good, and not so good. The students are unfailingly polite and well spoken.

This is a school that defied the odds. Others are studying the Saint Rose Academy model due to the closing of several Catholic Schools in the area. A lot of things came together to get the new school off the ground. I have a feeling the people here know they were very lucky, and the success of Saint Rose Academy will be difficult to duplicate.

>>>12:40 pm UPDATE<<< A member of the Saint Rose Academy board read the blog and e-mailed to let me know they feel their faith played a big role in the success of the school. It was more than luck.

Thank you for the note!