Francis Butler's recent article in America, "Catholic Schools: Empty Seats And Rising Costs Take a Toll," serves as just one more summary of the challenges Catholic schools are facing, reporting 10,000 empty seats in just Baltimore's Catholic schools alone. Those of us in the thick of it in Catholic schools, see examples of the empty seats coupled with nearly insurmountable debt on an all-too-often basis. What we also see in these places is a sense of despair if not even a culture of cynical defeat, a sort of victim's response that all of this has happened to us and there is nothing that can be done.

Clearly, the challenges facing principals and schools are immense. Clearly, in some communities consolidation is the only solution. Clearly, we should be aggressively pursuing increased lay leadership and governance reform in many school communities where such is needed.

That said, I just hung up the phone with a principal of a Catholic school here in the Seattle area. He has been in this role for a short four years. When he began, the school had shrunk to just 140 students and, needless to say, had many empty desks and much debt to repay. Where are they today? This fall they will welcome an enrollment of 260 students and nearly full classrooms throughout the building. Their debt is largely paid down and they are about to embark on a campaign to remodel the gymnasium. This principal saw through the empty desks and debt and saw opportunity. We need more of that.