Seven parish elementary schools in Philadelphia and Bucks County, PA will close at the end of this school year, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has announced. They include:
• Ascension of Our Lord Parish School in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. The school had a projected enrollment of 118 students for the 2011-12 school, compared to 204 students five years ago.
• Our Lady of Fatima Parish School, Bensalem, Bucks County, with had a projected enrollment of 132 students for next school year, compared to 187 students five years ago.
• St. Anne Parish School in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, with a projected enrollment of 151 students for next year, compared to 246 students five years ago.
• St. Cyprian Parish School in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia, with a projected enrollment of 115 students for next year, compared to 229 students five years ago.
• St. Hugh of Cluny Parish School in the Fairhill section of Philadelphia, with projected enrollment of 99 students for next year, compared to 225 students five years ago.
• St. Martin of Tours Parish School in New Hope, Bucks County, with a projected enrollment of 126 students next year, compared to 143 students five years ago. “From the time of its establishment in 2000, St. Martin of Tours Parish School has operated at less than half of its full capacity of 300+ students,” said the Archdiocese statement.
• St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School in Croydon, with aprojected enrollment of 116 students for the 2011-12 school year, compared to 197 students five years ago.
Enrollment in the Archdiocese’s parish elementary schools had dropped 18 percent in the last five years. Last year nine schools, including two high schools, were closed while two regional elementary schools and a high school were opened.
“The decision to close these parish schools is due to low enrollments,” said the Archdiocese in a statement. “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.”
