The New York Archdiocese has announced that is closing 20 Catholic schools, including six in Westchester and three in the Hudson Valley. Three schools in Orange County are being merged into a single entity. The archdiocese cited the economic tumult created by the COVID-19 pandemic as the root cause for its decision.
The superintendent of schools for the archdiocese warned that even more may have to be closed if federal aid is not forthcoming.
In the Westchester and Hudson Valley regions, the archdiocese will close:
Ӣ Divine Mercy School in New Windsor;
Ӣ Holy Family School in New Rochelle;
Ӣ Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Pelham Manor;
Ӣ Sacred Heart School in Suffern;
Ӣ St. Ann School in Yonkers;
Ӣ St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Shrub Oak;
Ӣ St. Patrick School in Bedford;
Ӣ St. Paul School in Yonkers; and
Ӣ St. Peter School in Poughkeepsie.
The other schools closing are in New York City.
In Orange County, St. John School in Goshen will absorb Sacred Heart School in Monroe and St. Stephen-St. Edward School in Warwick.
The archdiocese said that approximately 2,500 students and 350 staff are affected by the permanent closings.
“Like so many families, businesses, and institutions around the world, the schools which will not be reopening are victims of the fall-out of the coronavirus,” wrote Cardinal Timothy Dolan in a letter to the members of the archdiocese.
“Despite $40 million in annual subsidy the archdiocese provides to our Catholic schools, our generous scholarship programs, and tuition kept as low as possible, many families, having already experienced their own loss of income, felt unable to plan ahead and re-register their students for the 2020-2021 school year. Add to that months of unopened churches and the resulting loss of parish funds which traditionally help support the schools, and it became clear that these schools, despite heroic efforts to save them, would not be able to reopen this September.”
Superintendent of Schools Michael J. Deegan said: “The reality of these schools being lost is painful, and it was only accepted reluctantly after a detailed study was conducted of their respective fiscal standing in the wake of the coronavirus public health crisis. I have been a Catholic school educator for more than 40 years and could never have imagined the grave impact this pandemic has had on our schools. If more assistance is not forthcoming in the longed for HEROES Act now before Congress, I am afraid even more might close. This is a very sad day for everyone in the extended Catholic school community. I send my love and prayers to the families, teachers, principals and staff of the affected schools.”
Deegan’s office is expected to work closely with each affected family to help it find a Catholic school for their children to attend in the fall, presuming schools are allowed to reopen.
Staff writer Peter Katz contributed to this report.
