Queen of the Rosary in Williamsburg (Facebook)
July 9, 2020 By Allie Griffin
Two Catholic schools in Brooklyn will not reopen in the fall due to the financial strain spurred by the coronavirus pandemic.
Queen of the Rosary in Williamsburg and St. Gregory the Great in Crown Heights will permanently close on Aug. 31, the Diocese of Brooklyn announced today.
Four Catholic schools in Queens are also closing, according to the diocese that covers Brooklyn and Queens. They include Our Lady’s Catholic Academy in South Ozone Park, Our Lady of Grace in Howard Beach, Holy Trinity Catholic Academy in Whitestone and St. Mel’s Catholic Academy in Whitestone.
The six schools have seen enrollment decline over the past five years, the diocese said, and the COVID-19 pandemic delivered a final blow to each. Many parents are now struggling to pay fees following the economic shutdown.
“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 Thomas Chadzutko, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools. “The difficult decisions come after the intense analysis of the financial picture of each academy.”
Registration for the upcoming school year was down significantly at each Catholic school.
Parents — some facing unemployment or business loss due to the citywide shutdown — cannot afford tuition during these difficult times. Many parents are behind in paying tuition. For instance, among the six schools, $630,000 is owed by parents from this past school year.
The Diocese will help students of the six schools transfer to nearby Catholic academies if they choose.
Online information meetings for parents from the six schools will begin next week. Staffers from neighboring Catholic schools will present their programs and answer questions.
Each affected student will receive a $500 grant when they enroll at another Catholic school in Brooklyn or Queens this fall, as long as their family has met all of their financial obligations.
Tuition assistance is also available for those in need at Futures in Education.
The Archdiocese of New York, which covers Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx, as well as upstate counties, also saw a heavy toll from the pandemic and resulting economic crisis.
The Archdiocese announced today that 20 of its Catholic schools will shutter — including 11 across Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx.
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One Comment
Religious schools especially catholic ones are ripe for abuse as proven by the horrendous child sexual abuse scandal. Anytime you make the leaders godlike like the church does with priests you are asking for it.
Marx had it right. Religion is a drug or at least a form of a drug. When not abused it is like drinking a class of wine when you go over the one glass limit like the Catholic Church always did you get the dark ages, Spanish inquisition, popes aiding Hitler, child abuse scandals etc. etc.
If you are gonna let kids partake of the drug make sure it is strictly supervised. Better still don’t let them get religious teaching till they are age 18 and make up their own mind.