PRESENT SITUATION OF THE SCHOOL

If the evolution of the school is analyzed until the present we find that, during the period that was at the expense of the “Hermanas Dominicas del Santísimo nombre de Jesús”, from the year 1972 until 1990, the number of pupils never overcame the 250; but, from 1990 when the Association took charge of the conduction of the school and until the present, in spite of the crises that the country passed through, the matriculation had been increasing until today, in which formation and education is given to 400 pupils in the morning class and more than 100 pupils in the optional afternoon class. Indicating besides the fact that in the kindergarten there is a 1 year old class, a 2 years old class, a 3 years old class, two 4 years old classes and a 5 years old class; situation that did not exist in the period of conduction of the Sisters.

In another way, the concept of our educational Institution that Official Organisms have is excellent, as it is demonstrated in the inspections and supervision acts, and in the general concept that our school has in the Direction of Private Education Management.

Also it is to emphasize the importance that our institution has in society, in a Neighborhood of the main city of Argentina that presents a mid-low economic level, and the consideration that deserves by parents and neighbors.

Another worthy point of mention is that our school is mixed, a situation that was not contemplated during the conduction of the Sisters, and the creation of an optional afternoon class that allowed that many parents, the majority workers, could leave their children in our Institution, with which an at least risky situation for the children was relieved.

From the administrative-countable point of view, our Institution does not have obligations of any type and the rents are paid punctually every month; this is the product of several years of effort, dedication and to have assumed fully the Dominican Ideology.

From 2006 the misunderstandings between the Civil Association Sagrado Corazón de Jesús and Hermanas Dominicas del Santísimo nombre de Jesús were deepened. Always motivated by economic pressures of the Sisters over the Association; as the concrete fact of trying to add up to the cost of the rents, the percentages granted to cover the major labor costs, situation that were consulted to Official Organisms as the Secretariat of Trade and the Direction of Private Education Management answered and the answer was that the pretension was not correct; and other points that always determined that the Association, with big efforts, tried to negotiate the continuity of the School to support the educational service for our children, the labor source of our teachers and, fundamentally, to keep alive the spirit and the teaches of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.

In 2007, by reasons that we cannot explain to us, the Sisters showed a major intransigence and they demonstrated clearly that they would not renew the rent of the school, that we had to buy the building or otherwise they would demand its restitution.

For the last years our maximum interest has always been trying to obtain enough funds to be able to buy the building and destine it exclusively to work as an educational institution and hereby to continue forever with what it is explained in the Dominican ideology, with whom we are totally identified and which forms an essential part of the corporate purpose of our Association.

For it, during all the year many meetings and multiple negotiations were organized in which not only members of our Association had come, but also several people who helped and still help us to find solutions to this serious problem.

Last November 7 we made a travel to Tucumán, where the Sisters reside, in a management that certainly did not give results, in where we proposed them an offer of purchasing the building and the analysis of the amounts of rents, which according to them, had to be updated. They did not accept our offer of purchase and, for this reason we requested them to continue renting the building to us, otherwise the Association would have no choice but closing the school to be able to deliver the building.

Later, the sisters demonstrated that they would agree to grant an extension of the rent for one year, but in consideration to it, it was a condition that we recognized the increase of the rent during 2006 and 2007; it is to say the application of the major labor costs to the rent. With the only purpose of reaching an agreement and demonstrating again the good will of our institution, we offered to recognize the increase of the rent, with the sacrifices that it supposed for us.

The President of our Association was dated in Tucumán to talk about our situation, but in this meeting instead of informing her about the possibility of an agreement that should allow us to continue with the work of the school and with the Dominican ideology, the totality of the motives for which she had travelled were damaged, and she only received economic requirements that were due to fulfill or otherwise we had to leave the building in December 2007. In the same meeting the Sisters even managed to deny the offer to buy the building that they had given to us and our offer of purchase that they had rejected likewise.

Our Association did and continues doing negotiations to try to support the building of our school in order to continue expiring with the Dominican ideology and with the purpose for the end that was done. (See “History of the Educational Institution and Dominical Family”)

We negotiated in all the Government authorities, both civilians and Ecclesiastics. Among others we can mention the following ones:

- The Sub secretary of Education of the Buenos Aires Government, Professor Luis Liberman, who imposed of the situation of our school, demonstrated that he would speak with the Cardinal Bergoglio; some days later he said to us that he had spoken and that he indicated him that, according to his permanent educational politics our college could not be closed and that the situation of the building would be arranged by the Archbishopric with its owners, Hermanas Dominicas del Santísimo nombre de Jesús and that, previous agreement with our Association, we would continue administering the college. In such direction he connected us with Mr. José Luis González, from the Vicar of Education of the Archbishopric of Buenos Aires, that was committed to initiate managements between the Sisters and us.

We also made contact with the Education Vicar from the Archbishopric of Buenos Aires, who said to us that he would make managements with the Sisters.

We made manifolds managements in banks to try to obtain loans but did not make results.

Thus the things, at the end of December of 2007, we asked the Vicar of Education of the Archbishopric of Buenos Aires for the mediation in this conflict, and said to us that they would try to reach a solution for our problem with the Sisters in the following days, and that in February 2008 we would meet again to treat this subject. We did that, without obtaining results. The managements always continued and we stayed following the instructions that we received from the Vicar of Education.

As a result of all the managements, in March of 2008 we found out that the Sisters initiated legal actions so that we come to the delivery from the immovable where the Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Institute works.

After having struck many doors, of making so many managements, we felt annoyed, worried, impotent, but trusting, we asked our Founding Mother Elmina Paz de Gallo to cover us with a protection mantle, like she did in Tucuman when she put her personal goods to the service of the needed ones.

We feel that the way taken by these Sisters, that are not the major Sisters founders of our school, is not the correct one, but we won’t stop trying, having faith and believing in our founding mother, our ideology, our unshakeable faith in the Church; that we are going to try to maintain our institution.

The solution must arrive, we have pedagogical experience, projects to develop to the benefit of the needed children and we also have the capacity to confront a commitment of reasonable purchase if they give the conditions us to do it.

We are just to be in our 100 anniversary in education and we think that an Institute of our characteristics must continue working and not being transformed into a real state business.

We are open to receive ideas and contributions that make our educative continuity possible; it does not exists any buildings in the neighbor able to lodge a School like ours, we are in a zone of educative emergency.

WE CANNOT CLOSE OUR SCHOOL; WE CANNOT LEAVE OUR CHILDREN …

God blesses all you and brings peace in your heart.