Not sure if this was mentioned but St Joe's announced they are closing. MU had some great recruits from there. I met Coach P once at a restaurant... a tremendous human being. RIP
I know Will Gates and Amal McCaskill played there. Did we have others from St. Joe's?
Wow integrating into fenwick and Montini?
Just guessing given their location.
Very sad day (yesterday) for Chicago Catholic HS alums/students/families/friends. The school served over 11,600 young men and women over 61 years, and Gene Pingatore's legacy as head basketball coach really spoke for itself. Hoping that their current students and staff find quality landing spots for the Fall.
Unfortunately, this was inevitable. It was only a matter of time.
Disappointing to hear. But is was inevitable. Used to live in Westchester 15 years ago and most of our friends started sending their kids to Montini and Fenwick. That was not a good sign.
I remember in 6th grade, playing in a basketball tournament at St. Joe's, and it was like the biggest deal ever because Isiah played there.
Seemed like it was a matter of time though, their enrollment had been dropping over the years, and there's just too many options that are close to St. Joe's. Geography had to be a big part in their fall off.
Off the top of my head, I believe IC, Montini, Nazareth are all around 15 minutes away. If you get closer to the city, you have Fenwick, St. Ignatius among others. The wealthy DuPage/Kane kids are going to Benet/St. Francis, not saying that St. Joe's would have been an option, they were really just located in a tough spot with other options available to most families.
Quote from: GooooMarquette on April 14, 2021, 03:09:18 PM
I know Will Gates and Amal McCaskill played there. Did we have others from St. Joe's?
The great Tony Reeder
Quote from: Jockey on April 14, 2021, 03:55:23 PM
The great Tony Reeder
Or, due to his penchant for the hippie lettuce, as he was affectionally known during my stretch in Milwaukee...Tony Weeder...
Quote from: Jockey on April 14, 2021, 03:55:23 PM
The great Tony Reeder
Tony and I were paired in a 2 person team on a class project at MU when we were there and we got an A. Good times!
Is this because the Agee's didn't pay??
Quote from: Shooter McGavin on April 14, 2021, 03:35:44 PM
Disappointing to hear. But is was inevitable. Used to live in Westchester 15 years ago and most of our friends started sending their kids to Montini and Fenwick. That was not a good sign.
Which is weird because Montini's enrollment has been way down the last few years.
Think they're sub-500 students at this point. Wouldn't shock me if they're next.
Sad news. An excellent educational opportunity for Chicago kids who often have too few quality options.
Quote from: GooooMarquette on April 14, 2021, 03:09:18 PM
I know Will Gates and Amal McCaskill played there. Did we have others from St. Joe's?
Amal and I were both doing a phone sales gig thing on the side until He signed with the Magic haha more good times!
Coach P entertained me for hours with stories about Al McG and Ray Mayer. Al would turn the hot water off to the DePaul locker room after a bitter defeat. I was enthralled and in tears laughing. They were competitive but best of friends. Coach P just seemed so genuine & charismatic. A once in a life time man.... I shed a tear over the news about St Joe's
Quote from: We R Final Four on April 14, 2021, 04:26:32 PM
Is this because the Agee's didn't pay??
BRAVO.
Let's be honest, this all could have been stopped if Evan "The Villain" Turner wasn't so selfish with his NBA earnings
Quote from: mcderjim on April 14, 2021, 05:12:57 PM
Coach P entertained me for hours with stories about Al McG and Ray Mayer. Al would turn the hot water off to the DePaul locker room after a bitter defeat. I was enthralled and in tears laughing. They were competitive but best of friends. Coach P just seemed so genuine & charismatic. A once in a life time man.... I shed a tear over the news about St Joe's
Majerus always had great things to say about Pingatore.
Isaiah was obviously his best player.
Quote from: ChitownSpaceForRent on April 14, 2021, 04:37:00 PM
Which is weird because Montini's enrollment has been way down the last few years.
Think they're sub-500 students at this point. Wouldn't shock me if they're next.
As someone who went to St. Francis, it would bum me out if Montini was next. It was a bummer when Driscoll closed shop.
When I graduated from Francis, enrollment was around 500, they're now capping enrollment just under 800. The campus is completely different now. When I went there it felt like just an extension of Catholic education in the west burbs, and it's now a state of the art campus with all kinds of money rolling in.
Quote from: We R Final Four on April 14, 2021, 04:26:32 PM
Is this because the Agee's didn't pay??
What they did to that family was terrible.
I have heard Pignatore wasn't really a nice guy. I have no first hand knowledge but was told that by someone who does. I don't actually care one way or the other.
Quote from: keefe on April 14, 2021, 08:08:15 PM
What they did to that family was terrible.
I have heard Pignatore wasn't really a nice guy. I have no first hand knowledge but was told that by someone who does. I don't actually care one way or the other.
Maybe seven years ago he came in with his girlfriend as she bought a car. He was kinda a Dick then, so I can believe it.
Quote from: Galway Eagle on April 14, 2021, 03:10:08 PM
Wow integrating into fenwick and Montini?
Just guessing given their location.
And Nazareth. And to a lesser extent, Immaculate Conception in Elmhurst.
And there were only 185 kids enrolled there last year.
Quote from: DegenerateDish on April 14, 2021, 05:52:59 PM
As someone who went to St. Francis, it would bum me out if Montini was next. It was a bummer when Driscoll closed shop.
Montini is nowhere near closing.
They had under 200 kids enrolled. Most of the Milwaukee-area Catholic/Lutheran high schools would be closed too, but for School Choice.
Quote from: WI inferiority Complexes on April 14, 2021, 09:35:05 PM
Montini is nowhere near closing.
I didn't necessarily think so, was just responding to the other post.
Quote from: keefe on April 14, 2021, 08:08:15 PM
What they did to that family was terrible.
I have heard Pignatore wasn't really a nice guy. I have no first hand knowledge but was told that by someone who does. I don't actually care one way or the other.
Most who watched Hoop Dreams would not conclude that Pingatore was a great guy. And the Agees certainly wouldn't. Like you, I never knew him, though.
There's just not that much demand for Catholic High School in DuPage County, especially given its high cost and the fact that in general, the public schools there are pretty good.
Quote from: Warrior of Law on April 14, 2021, 10:05:43 PM
They had under 200 kids enrolled. Most of the Milwaukee-area Catholic/Lutheran high schools would be closed too, but for School Choice.
But for the Chinese, FIFY.
Quote from: warriorchick on April 14, 2021, 10:59:41 PM
There's just not that much demand for Catholic High School in DuPage County, especially given its high cost and the fact that in general, the public schools there are pretty good.
This is true; however, St. Joe's, which is closing is in Westchester, (Cook Co). The public school option for kids in Westchester is Proviso West, which is not as strong of a school as their neighbors in DuPage.
No but the only options these days aren't Catholic schools or public schools. There are charter schools all over the place in the Chicago area, the Noble network of schools for example, that are filling role that Catholic schools did a generation ago.
https://nobleschools.org/
I look at my niece. She lives in West Allis but her parents weren't thrilled with the public school options. As a Catholic, a generation ago Pius was the best, no brainer option. Instead she is going out of district to Reagan High School, a magnet school in MPS. There are just so many options now.
Quote from: Fluffy Blue Monster on April 15, 2021, 07:41:38 AM
No but the only options these days aren't Catholic schools or public schools. There are charter schools all over the place in the Chicago area, the Noble network of schools for example, that are filling role that Catholic schools did a generation ago.
https://nobleschools.org/
In order to enroll in a Noble School, students must present an ID from the CPS school they currently attend or proof of residency within city limits.
Students in Westchester, (the town which contains St. Joe's, which is closing), can not attend a Noble School. They can go to Proviso West, potentially test into the Proviso Math and Science Academy (PMSA in Forest Park), or they can attend a Catholic/Lutheran/Christian school.
Quote from: WI inferiority Complexes on April 15, 2021, 08:24:38 AM
In order to enroll in a Noble School, students must present an ID from the CPS school they currently attend or proof of residency within city limits.
Students in Westchester, (the town which contains St. Joe's, which is closing), can not attend a Noble School. They can go to Proviso West, potentially test into the Proviso Math and Science Academy (PMSA in Forest Park), or they can attend a Catholic/Lutheran/Christian school.
Thank you for the clarification. My greater point was that there are more than binary choices these days between Catholic schools and the traditional public ones.
Quote from: WI inferiority Complexes on April 15, 2021, 07:31:10 AM
This is true; however, St. Joe's, which is closing is in Westchester, (Cook Co). The public school option for kids in Westchester is Proviso West, which is not as strong of a school as their neighbors in DuPage.
I stand corrected. I wasn't sure where the border was. I believe all of the other schools in the discussion were in DuPage.
Quote from: WI inferiority Complexes on April 15, 2021, 07:31:10 AM
This is true; however, St. Joe's, which is closing is in Westchester, (Cook Co). The public school option for kids in Westchester is Proviso West, which is not as strong of a school as their neighbors in DuPage.
Better than the $hit show that is Proviso East
Quote from: MU82 on April 14, 2021, 10:45:30 PM
Most who watched Hoop Dreams would not conclude that Pingatore was a great guy. And the Agees certainly wouldn't. Like you, I never knew him, though.
If only for what they did to the Agees I would suggest that the closing of St Joe's is addition by subtraction. Karma is a Motherf#cker.
Quote from: Galway Eagle on April 15, 2021, 10:38:12 AM
Better than the $hit show that is Proviso East
Proviso West is the "taller midget" of the two, for sure.