Introduction to the Closures
CHICAGO — Six Chicago-area Catholic schools will close this spring due to low enrollment, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced. In a Friday email, the archdiocese said St. Francis Borgia in Dunning, Sts. Bruno and Richard School in Archer Heights, St. Jerome School in Bridgeport, St. Stanislaus Kostka in Wicker Park, Our Lady of Humility in suburban Beach Park and St. Hubert in suburban Hoffman Estates will all be closing at the end of the school year.
Reason for the Closures
“We made these decisions with heavy hearts after months of discussions with each school. We know the importance of these schools in each community. Unfortunately, the enrollment of each school is too low, and the ongoing deficits are too high,” Greg Richmond, superintendent of schools for the archdiocese, said in a statement. “Many people have worked hard at each school to raise money and try to boost enrollment. We recognize and value those efforts but, in the end, the schools were not able to close the gaps and they are no longer sustainable.”
Support for Impacted Families and Staff
The archdiocese said it will help impacted families enroll in other Catholic schools and help teachers and staff find employment at schools within the archdiocese.
Community Efforts to Save the Schools
Parents and alumni launched a GoFundMe for St. Francis Borgia, 3535 N. Panama Ave., in the fall after the archdiocese announced the school had to raise $400,000 to cover expenses for this year and next year. As of Monday, the GoFundMe has raised $6,755.
“St. Francis Borgia isn’t just any school. It’s where our children form lifelong friendships. It’s where teachers know every student by name. It’s where faith meets education, and where students feel safe, supported, and loved,” organizers wrote on the GoFundMe page. “The halls of Borgia are filled with memories — first days of school, Christmas plays, sports, graduations, and moments that families carry forever. Losing this school would break the heart of our community.”
St. Francis Borgia School
St. Francis Borgia school as seen on Dec. 12, 2025. Credit: Molly DeVore/ Block Club Chicago
Scott McDonald, director of communications and marketing for the Chicago archdiocese’s Office of Catholic Schools, said the decision to close St. Francis Borgia was made because the school’s enrollment was too low and the budget deficit too high.
Impact on the Community
Caty Curry Hansen, who has been a St. Francis Borgia parent for 17 years and a parishioner for more than two decades, said enrollment began to drop in the 2000s. When her family started at St. Francis Borgia in 2009, there were around 225 students, she said.
Hansen, who has taught at St. Francis Borgia since 2020, has had three children graduate from the preK-8 school. She currently has a fifth-grader and an eighth-grader enrolled there.
The school’s veteran teachers and strong sense of community set students up for success, she said.
“You just see the difference it’s made in kids lives over the years, the strong foundation it’s given so many,” Hansen said.
St. Stanislaus Kostka Academy
St. Stanislaus Kostka Academy at 1255 N. Noble St. on Jan. 16, 2026. Credit: Quinn Myers/Block Club Chicago
In Wicker Park, St. Stanislaus Kostka Academy announced its impending closure on Thursday through a letter sent to families and staff by the Rev. Anthony Buś.
The school at 1255 N. Noble St. has been open since 1874. It’s an anchor for the local Polish community and other groups and regarded as the “mother church of Chicago Polonia,” said Daniel Pogorzelski, a Polish-American historian and community activist.
Conclusion
The closure of these six Chicago-area Catholic schools will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the communities they serve. The archdiocese’s decision to close the schools due to low enrollment and financial difficulties is a difficult one, but it is hoped
