This article on the front page of today's New York Times notes that philanthropists who donate to Catholic schools are taking a more active role in influencing how the schools are run. This is something that philanthropists tend to do, and it sometimes makes their generosity a mixed blessing. The newspaper reports:

In the jargon of education reform, they want transparency and accountability; and though the church bureaucracy has resisted similar demands from other constituents in the past, the donors are getting pretty much what they want.

To the delight of some educators and the discomfort of others, major contributors have won a voice in decision-making at every level, from the staffing of the schools to the frank financial self-examination that has nudged the Archdiocese of New York toward the most severe school consolidation in its history.

This may understate the influence of wealthy donors in other areas of the church's life, but in terms of the Catholic schools, I think the article leads to an important point: that church and Catholic school officials will need to share authority with the lay people enlisted in the effort to save the schools. I would add that many dioceses are merging parochial schools into regional academies run by boards of lay people with expertise in finance and education. These boards are trying to catch up on the fund-raising that parish-based schools often neglected in the past. For these boards to succeed, they need to be something more than a parish council, which exists to advise the pastor but does not have any actual authority. In the case of the school boards, pastors would need to surrender much of their authority.This is not to say the clergy and religious lack an important role. As the Times article hints, the business people who get involved in helping Catholic schools don't always know what's best for the schools, however sure they may be of the course of action to take. There has to be a shared responsibility.