CREVE COEUR — Parents said they feel betrayed by the Archdiocese of ºüÀêÊÓƵ over the decision to close St. Monica Catholic School. They also have a warning for other families: Your school could be next.
St. Monica will close at the end of the academic year because of “inconsistent and declining enrollment,†ºüÀêÊÓƵ Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski announced last week. About 120 students had registered for next year.
School board president Chris Miller said the news came as a surprise soon after the parish hired a new principal and raised nearly $500,000 to subsidize the school for at least one more year.
“It’s too late, I’ll concede that for us,†Miller said. “But we want to make sure these other schools get on the offensive and fight this because it’s coming for them.â€
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A spokeswoman for the archdiocese said the number of students at St. Monica was not sustainable for a long-term future.
“Despite the admirable fundraising efforts, mostly in the form of pledges from the St. Monica parish community, the school was deemed not viable due to their enrollment,†Lisa Shea said.
More than half of the 82 parish grade schools in the archdiocese have fewer than 200 students, considered a benchmark for viability. At St. Monica’s peak in the 1960s, there were more than 700 students.
In fall of 2022, the archdiocese proposed closing nearly half of the grade schools in the “All Things New†reorganization to address declining numbers of Catholics, priests and schoolchildren.
The proposal was met with backlash from parishioners and parents, and church leaders postponed the school closure decisions to early 2024.
Initially, none of the pastors of the 25 to 30 smaller parish schools agreed to close them. They were then told to submit three-year feasibility plans by February for raising funds and enrollment. St. Monica’s plan was rejected by the archdiocese, the Rev. Sebastian Mundackal told parishioners in an April 19 letter announcing the closure.
“It’s so difficult and painful to share this news with you. So many of us have worked hard to provide all the information and proof of support for the school to show the Archdiocese that St. Monica School should remain open,†Mundackal wrote.
Some parents wonder if the church’s prime real estate at the southwest corner of Interstate 270 and Olive Boulevard played a role in the decision to close the school. They also worry about finding new schools with enough openings this late in the year. Some fear the risk of experiencing another closure, Miller said.
“Our families are in Parkway and Rockwood so we’re in good school districts. They’ve got options,†he said.
Tiffany Estes was excited to have all four of her kids in the same school next year. Her 3-year-old son, who has Down syndrome, received a grant to attend St. Monica from the nonprofit One Classroom which supports students with special needs in Catholic schools.
“It’s just overall traumatic, we’re very disappointed,†Estes said. “I feel like we were betrayed and I don’t feel like the archdiocese cares about us.â€
The downsizing plan for parochial schools is ongoing and implementation will take several years, according to the archdiocese.
Two other Catholic grade schools, St. Roch in ºüÀêÊÓƵ and Little Flower in Richmond Heights, will also close this year. Three schools closed in 2023 because of low enrollment: Good Shepherd in Hillsboro, St. Mark in south ºüÀêÊÓƵ County and St. Rose in Florissant.
“I feel horrible for all of the families,†said Meghan Kaltenbach, whose daughter attends St. Monica. “It’s not fair that people are scrambling and worried and stressed that they don’t know where they’re going to send their children to school. It doesn’t feel like the community the Catholic church is supposed to be when you’re running it like a business.â€