Six struggling Catholic elementary schools in Brooklyn and Queens will close for good following months of financial hardships and low enrollment due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Diocese of Brooklyn announced on Thursday.
Queen of the Rosary in Williamsburg, St. Gregory the Great in Crown Heights, Our Lady’s Catholic Academy in South Ozone Park, Our Lady of Grace in Howard Beach, and Holy Trinity Catholic Academy and St. Mel’s Catholic Academy in Whitestone will permanently shut down Aug. 31, officials said.
“This is an incredibly sad day for our Catholic community to have to close these schools, but the devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic is insurmountable,” said Superintendent of Schools Thomas Chadzutk. “The difficult decisions come after the intense analysis of the financial picture of each academy.”
The closures come as the number of shuttered Catholic schools continues to climb. Twenty schools under the Archdiocese of New York — three of which will merge with other schools — closed earlier this month after high unemployment numbers and cancelled fundraisers made it impossible for parents to foot the bills.
“Children are always the most innocent victims of any crisis, and this COVID-19 pandemic is no exception,” Archbishop of New York Timothy Cardinal Dolan said of the closures July 9. “Too many have lost parents and grandparents to this insidious virus, and now thousands will not see their beloved school again.”
The ill-fated Brooklyn Diocese schools racked up more than $630,000 in unpaid tuition during the 2019-2020 academic year following five years of low enrollment numbers, officials said.
The diocese will dole out a one-time $500 financial grant through the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Trust to financially eligible students who attend a new Catholic elementary academy or school in Brooklyn or Queens this fall. After the closings, there will be a total of 70 Brooklyn Diocese elementary schools — 43 in Queens and 27 in Brooklyn.
“Our devoted teachers and staff supported every child with the tools they needed to continue their education,” Chadzutko said. “We will continue to improve on this so we can be ready to handle any challenge this coming fall.”
