It wasn’t the first time tears were shed on the football field of Driscoll Catholic High School, but it is certainly the last.

After an overwhelming amount of ticket requests moved the ceremony from St. Philip the Apostle Church to Driscoll’s campus, the stadium that played home to the football team with seven straight state championships this decade was the site of Driscoll’s class of 2009 graduation ceremony Sunday.

Thirty years after he graduated from Driscoll, David Schwabe watched his son Steven become one of the school’s last valedictorians, one of 87 in the school’s final graduating class.

“It wasn’t a funeral,” Schwabe said of the graduation ceremony. “It was a beautiful day and it truly was a celebration.”

For Paula Masilotti, it was a very bittersweet moment watching her daughter graduate from the school that will live on as a memory.  She said both she and her daughter had mixed emotions going into the ceremony.

“I loved that school,” Masilotti said.  “It’s sad that she’ll never be able to go back.”

While the seniors have left the school, Driscoll remains open to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors for classes through May 28. 

Parents, students exploring options for next year

Schwabe now has watched two of his children graduate from his alma mater, but will unable to see his third accomplish the same feat. His daughter Lauren is finishing her sophomore year at Driscoll. She, along with more than 250 other Driscoll students, will have to find a home for her final years of high school.

Schwabe said Lauren likely will enroll at Fenton High School in Bensenville for her final two years because many of her friends with whom she attended public grade school go there.

“(Fenton) has been very understanding and very accommodating,” Schwabe said. “It’s a very nice fit for her.”

Fenton Community High School District 100 Superintendent Kathie Pierce said the school has had a few calls from interested families. Two students including Lauren observed for a day at the school, which serves about 1,500 students.

“We’d be happy to have them,” Pierce said. 

Lisa Gibson, Immaculate Conception High School spokeswoman, said the Elmhurst school has seen a definite increase in interest since Driscoll’s closing was announced. The school has held a special open house for the Driscoll community and also has allowed Driscoll students to shadow ICHS students throughout an academic day.

“We definitely have had some inquiries since Friday, since the final word was given to us,” Gibson said. “We’re trying to accommodate as many people as possible. They’ve definitely taken an interest in ICHS. We’re pretty compatible with their school.”

In Wheaton, St. Francis High School has received 15 applications from displaced Driscoll students. Nine of them have registered, and more are pending, said St. Francis President Thomas Bednar.

Because Driscoll is about half the size of St. Francis, administrators there expected limited interest from displaced students, who might instead opt for a school of similar size — such as Immaculate Conception.

While Bednar said his and other schools are happy to give the Driscoll student body a home, he is sad to see the school close. It means in the future, families in that community will not be exposed to Catholic education.

“When one Catholic school closes, it really hurts all Catholic schools,” he said. “We’ll have fewer families looking for Catholic education.”

James Segredo, president at Montini Catholic High School in Lombard, said it is expected to add an additional 26 to 30 Driscoll students to make total enrollment next year about 700.

“Our kids have been very good about welcoming Driscoll students here at shadow days, making them feel at home,” Segredo said. 

When the announcement came in April that Driscoll would be closing, Montini employees set up a special section on the admissions section of their Web site for Driscoll families looking to transfer. No additional entrance exams were necessary, and the school expedited the transfer process with no letters of recommendations needed.

With the growth in enrollment, Montini is looking to add at least two faculty members from Driscoll and is accepting applications for a teaching position available next year.

“It will be nice for them to have a couple of familiar faces in the building,” Segredo said. “We’re going to work hard this summer so everyone feels comfortable as part of the Montini community when they start school next year.”

Staff writers Brian Hudson and Colleen McBrien contributed to this report.