After 149 years, parish grade school in Milwaukee Archdiocese closes

Published: 2005-06-15

CALEDONIA, Wis. (CNS) -- Population growth in an area of Racine County in the Milwaukee Archdiocese has not come fast enough to boost enrollment and save St. Louis School, which has been in operation for 149 years. Father Mark Danczyk, pastor of St. Louis Parish in Caledonia, told parishioners at Masses May 21 and 22 that the school would close when the academic year ended June 9. "People have expected this for years," Father Danczyk told the Catholic Herald, Milwaukee's archdiocesan newspaper. "It was just a matter of when it was going to happen." Over the last 25 years, he noted, enrollment had been dropping by about 10 students per year. He added that parishioners had told him "even 20 years ago they were talking about this (closing)."

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .