Va. School's Shift Away From Catholicism Leaves Board, Parents in Turmoil

"The board is dysfunctional. The school is terrific," said Paul Goldstein, a Jewish father of a Notre Dame sophomore. "When the executive board says that it's going to rewrite the charter, that's a smack in the face to the bishop," which Goldstein said made it difficult for Catholic families to remain. As for him: "I send my kid to a Catholic school. For me, it's a question of fidelity and trust to what your mission is. They broke that trust."

But Clark said that day-to-day life at the school will remain largely the same.

"Next year, the school will still be celebrating its Catholic heritage," he said. "They won't be able to have Mass in school, but that's not the school's decision. That's the bishop's." Without the change, Clark said, "the school would have gone bankrupt and out of business. Staying the way they were was not an option."

Not all families are upset.

"I'm of the belief that when you're in a hole, you need to stop digging and you look at the changes that need to be made," said Tony Horkan, whose daughter is a freshman and whose son graduated from the school this year. Horkan, an Episcopalian, said that he sympathized with Catholic families who were upset but that he thought the changes will help Notre Dame compete with other private schools.

"The parents don't want to break with the school," Goldstein said. "The spirit of the concerned parents is to rectify the situation."

Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.