The closures will affect four schools in Philadephia and another three in Bucks County.
Those schools are:
- Ascension of Our Lord Parish School in the Kensington section of Philadelphia
- Saint Anne Parish School in the Kensington section of Philadelphia
- Saint Cyprian Parish School in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia
- Saint Hugh of Cluny Parish School in the Fairhill section of Philadelphia
- Our Lady of Fatima Parish School, Bensalem, Bucks County
- Saint Martin of Tours Parish School in New Hope, Bucks County
- Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish School in Croydon, Bucks County.
In a statement from the Archdiocese, the closures were blamed on low enrollment. The statement went on to say that keeping the schools open would require a "dramatic tutition increase."
The schools had projected enrollments for next year ranging from 99 to 151 students. Those numbers represent declines of between 12 and 56 percent in the last five years.
Faculty members were informed of the decision at the end of last week, the Archdiocese said, and letters were mailed to all school families last Friday. Announcements were also made at all Masses over the weekend.
Families have also received information concerning accommodations at neighboring parish schools.
"It is always a heartbreaking and difficult decision to close a school, especially when so many have given their time and talents to try and sustain it," Mary Rochford, the superintendent of Archdiocese schools, said in the statement. "The reality is that these parishes can no longer sustain their schools with so few students."
In 1999 there were 200 Parish schools in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. By the time these seven schools close, there will be 160.
The Archdiocese provided the following enrollment figures and alternate locations for the seven affected schools:
Ascension of Our Lord Parish School
735 E. Westmoreland Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134
Ascension of Our Lord Parish School had a projected enrollment of 118 students for the 2011-12 school, compared to 204 students five years ago (a 43% decrease over five years). Students from Ascension of Our Lord will be welcomed to Our Lady of Port Richmond School, 3233 East Thompson Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134.
Our Lady of Fatima Parish School
2915 Street Road, Bensalem, PA 19020
Our Lady of Fatima Parish School had a projected enrollment of 132 students for the 2011-12 school year, compared to 187 students five years ago (a 30% decrease over five years). Students from Our Lady of Fatima Parish School will be welcomed to Saint Charles Borromeo Parish School, 1704 Bristol Pike, Bensalem, PA 19020.
Saint Anne Parish School
2343 East Tucker Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Saint Anne Parish School had a projected enrollment of 151 students for the 2011-12 school year, compared to 246 students five years ago (a 39% decrease over five years). Students from Saint Anne Parish School will be accommodated at Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional School, 3233 East Thompson Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134.
Saint Cyprian Parish School
6225 Cedar Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Saint Cyprian Parish School had a projected enrollment of 115 students for the 2011-12 school year, compared to 229 students five years ago (a 50% decrease over five years). Students from Saint Cyprian Parish School will be welcomed to Saint Francis de Sales Parish School, 917 South 47th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143; Mary Mother of Peace Parish School, 6328 Buist Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19142; or Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish School, 345 North 63rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139.
Saint Hugh of Cluny Parish School
3501 North Mascher Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140
Saint Hugh of Cluny Parish School had a projected enrollment of 99 students for the 2011-12 school year, compared to 225 students five years ago (a 56% decrease over five years). Students from Saint Hugh of Cluny may attend nearby Saint Veronica Parish School at 3521 North 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140.
Saint Martin of Tours Parish School
One Riverstone Circle, New Hope, PA 18938
Saint Martin of Tours Parish School had a projected enrollment of 126 students for the 2011-12 school year, compared to 143 students five years ago (a 12% decrease over five years). From the time of its establishment in 2000, Saint Martin of Tours Parish School has operated at less than half of its full capacity of 300+ students, and is not viable long-term without jeopardizing the financial stability of the parish. Students from Saint Martin of Tours Parish School will be welcomed to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 225 East Ashland Street, Doylestown, PA 18901 or Saint Andrew Parish School, 51 Wrights Road, Newtown, PA 18940.
Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish School
130 Walnut Avenue, Croydon, PA 19021
Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish School had a projected enrollment of 116 students for the 2011-12 school year, compared to 197 students five years ago (a 42% decrease over five years). Students from Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish School will be accommodated at Holy Family Regional School, 2477 Trenton Road, Levittown, PA 19054; Saint Charles Borromeo Parish School, 1704 Bristol Pike, Bensalem, PA 19020; Saint Mark Parish School, 1024 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA 19007 or Saint Michael the Archangel Parish School, 130 Levittown Parkway, Levittown, PA 19054.
