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ASTORIA, NY — Fr. Gregory Stamkopoulos, Superintendent of the St. Demetrios Greek-American School, wrote to the faculty and staff of the School on Wednesday to thank them for their work and to explain, in plain terms, the next stage of planning for the School’s future.
In the letter, he said the Archdiocese, with the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, has engaged a team of K-12 education specialists from Alvarez & Marsal, the leading education consultants in the country, to help the school, the parish, and the Archdiocese plan for the long term. The work follows an initial assessment by Alvarez & Marsal earlier this year and is at its beginning, he told staff, and no decisions have been made about specific programs, offerings or individual roles.
“We are hopeful about the future of our School and our community,” Fr. Gregory wrote. “We believe that by planning carefully and honestly today, and by working through this together, we can ensure that St. Demetrios remains a place where children grow in faith and learning for many generations to come.”
Fr. Gregory thanked teachers and staff for the care, patience and faith they bring to students each day, and he placed the School within a long history. St. Demetrios opened its day school in September 1956 with 267 children and added a high school in 1982. For generations since, the Parish and its School have been a religious, educational and cultural home for Greek Orthodox families in Astoria and well beyond.
He then spoke candidly about the pressures. Like private religious schools across the country, St. Demetrios has faced shifting demographics and declining enrollment, and the strain has reached the finances of both the School and the Cathedral. Fr. Gregory credited His Eminence with making the School’s health an Archdiocesan priority and with providing direct support while parish leadership works toward a path that lets the School continue and thrive on a footing that lasts.
A year of stabilization
The letter arrives a year after the Archdiocese stepped in to assist with the finances of the parish and its School.
At a briefing on October 6, 2025, at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Archdiocesan officials described a parish struggling to meet payroll and basic expenses after years of accumulated debt, structural deficits at the School and a costly building project that had underperformed.
To provide immediate liquidity, the Archdiocese agreed to buy a minority share of a parish-owned building, leaving St. Demetrios with majority ownership. It advanced $700,000 against the $3 million purchase price so the parish could cover salaries and vendor payments, and it guaranteed a $1 million line of credit that the parish could not have obtained from a bank on its own. In return, the Archdiocese asked for financial oversight: professional accountability for how the funds were spent, with full transparency.
His Eminence set out his commitment in a statement read at the briefing. “For the Archdiocese of America — and for me personally — education is a fundamental priority,” he said. “We are determined to ensure that the school of St. Demetrios, an emblematic institution of a distinguished community, will not only endure but truly excel.”
Four days later, the Hellenic Orthodox Community of St. Demetrios of Astoria and the Archdiocese announced a Financial Oversight Agreement, which received overwhelming approval. Its terms limit the collaboration to financial guidance and support and leave day-to-day operations with the Parish Council and the School. No assets are to be sold under the agreement, and both parties committed to investing in the School “to ensure its strength and vitality for generations to come.”
At the October 6 briefing, officials also said the Archdiocese would retain an independent consultant, at its own expense, to review St. Demetrios and other parochial schools, with a focus on financial stabilization and on an educational model that preserves the School’s Hellenic and Orthodox values. In an interview published by the Orthodox Observer days later, His Eminence described the aim as “a parish and a school that can stand on their own feet without one draining the other,” and named tighter financial management and a sustained push to increase enrollment among the near-term priorities.
Elaine Allen, the Archdiocesan Treasurer, put it simply at the time: “You can’t raise serious money without a serious plan.”
The review
After an initial assessment by Alvarez & Marsal that was shared with the community at its General Assembly in the Spring of 2026, this engagement is the next step towards a plan of financial stability with the objective of increased enrollment, academic and curricula enhancements and educator professional development.
According to the letter, the A&M team brings experience in school operations, financial management and academics, and has helped religious K-12 schools build a sustainable future. Building on an initial review of the School, the team will visit the campus, meet with School leaders and speak with members of the faculty and staff. The engagement includes meeting with members of the community and parents to solicit their views in building the school for the future.
Speaking to the Orthodox Observer, Ms. Allen said: “This is a pivotal time for the community of St. Demetrios and its beloved School where the combined resources of the community, the Archdiocese and the consultants are united in executing a strategy grounded in academic excellence for its students, wise investments, financial efficiency and the best in human resource and technology innovations. The decisions made as a result of the work will have long-lasting implications and need to be grounded in the realities of the educational landscape of today while honoring the historic past of St. Demetrios and the principles on which it was built.”
The A&M engagement will commence with discussions with the leadership of the community and the School, review of School enrollment trends, academic results, financial results and other key performance indicators and will progress to defining objective criteria and considerations for decision-making on next steps. The engagement also includes an evaluation of governance enhancements to allow the School to operate most effectively. A significant component of the work will include stakeholder engagement through surveys and listening sessions to hear from Parish Council and School Board members, clergy, School administrators, faculty and staff, parents, community leaders and donors. This engagement is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2027 and is being funded by the Archdiocese given the importance of the community of St, Demetrios and its School to the promotion of Hellenism and its educational ideals as it is the only K-12 school of the Archdiocese in the US. The Archdiocese looks forward to receiving the results of this work and supporting the St. Demetrios community as it moves forward.
Fr. Gregory wrote that what the team learns will inform the planning through which the School, the Parish and the Archdiocese decide on the steps needed for the School’s lasting success. He acknowledged that a process like this naturally raises questions, and for some, concern.
“Our teachers and staff should hear about this from us first, and they will keep hearing from us as the work moves forward,” Fr. Gregory told the Orthodox Observer. “With His Eminence and the Archdiocese beside us, St. Demetrios has the backing and the expertise to plan its future properly. There is room in this effort for everyone who loves this School and wants to help it succeed.”
The letter commits parish and School leadership to communicate frequently and openly with faculty, staff, families and the wider St. Demetrios community, and promises that staff will hear new information from School and Parish leadership first. Questions from faculty and staff go to Vasilios Skordas, the School’s Supervising Principal, who will gather them for a response.
What comes next
This fall, according to the letter, Fr. Anargyros Stavropoulos, Proistamenos of St. Demetrios Cathedral, Mr. Skordas, the Parish Council, the School Board and the Archdiocese will take the next steps in discerning the path forward while the A&M team carries out its visits. Parish leadership expects to share more with faculty and staff by the end of the Spring of 2027.
Fr. Gregory closed by asking for patience and prayers, and thanked the School’s teachers and staff “for your trust, your faith, and your continued dedication to our students.”
Read the full letter here.
Related coverage in the Orthodox Observer:
- Archdiocese steps in to stabilize St. Demetrios Cathedral & School (Oct. 7, 2025)
- GOA and Saint Demetrios of Astoria vote in favor of Financial Oversight Agreement (Oct. 10, 2025)
- Archbishop Elpidophoros to Cosmos FM on St. Demetrios (Oct. 10, 2025)
- Abp. Elpidophoros exudes confidence on St. Demetrios (Oct. 13, 2025)
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