Archdiocese Announces Seven School Closures Including Our Lady of Fatima

The Our Lady of Fatima parish school and six others in the region will close at the end of this school year due to dwindling enrollments, according to a release from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

The Office of Catholic Education today announced that seven parishes will close their schools in June. The parish schools include:

• Ascension of Our Lord Parish School in the Kensington section of Philadelphia;
• Our Lady of Fatima Parish School, Bensalem, Bucks County;
• 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;
• Saint Martin of Tours Parish School in New Hope, Bucks County; and
• Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish School in Croydon, Bucks County.

It became clear that sustaining the schools would require a dramatic tuition increase that would preclude many families from providing a Catholic education to their children,  the release stated. Maintaining their schools was no longer a tenable option, it stated.

"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," said Archdiocese school superintendent Mary Rochford. "The reality is that these parishes can no longer sustain their schools with so few students. We would rather provide affordable options to those families interested in Catholic education than levy a high tuition upon families simply to buoy a school with either sharply declining enrollments or the inability of the parish to meet the class size expectations as outlined in the Standards for Quality Catholic Schools."

Faculty members were informed of the decision at the end of last week, letters were mailed to all school families last Friday, and announcements were made at all Masses over the weekend. Additionally, families received information concerning accommodations at neighboring parish schools.

Rev. John Meyers, pastor of parish, petitioned Philadelphia Archbishop Cardinal Justin Rigali for permission to close the school in December, according to the Bucks County Courier Times.

Our Lady of Fatima Parish School, located at in the 2900 block of Street Road adjacent to Parx Casino, had a projected enrollment of 132 students for the 2011-12 school year, compared to 187 students five years ago (a 30 percent decrease over five years). Students from Our Lady of Fatima Parish School will be welcomed to Saint Charles Borromeo Parish School, 1704 Bristol Pike.