Introduction to School Closures

The Archdiocese of Chicago plans to close six Catholic grade schools this year, citing declining enrollment and ongoing financial losses.

Affected Schools

Four of the schools are in Chicago:

• St. Bruno and St. Richard, 5025 S. Kenneth Ave. in Archer Heights
• St. Jerome, 2801 S. Princeton Ave. in Armour Square
• St. Francis Borgia, 3535 N. Panama Ave. in Dunning
• St. Stanislaus Kostka, 1255 N. Noble St. in West Town
  Two suburban schools slated for closure are: Our Lady of Humility in Beach Park; and St. Hubert in Hoffman Estates.

Reason for Closure

The schools, pre-K through eighth grade, will close at the end of the school year, Greg Richmond, superintendent of schools for the Chicago Archdiocese, said in a statement.
“We made these decisions with heavy hearts after months of discussions with each school,” he said.
“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,” Richmond said. “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.”

Historical Context

The archdiocese has been losing students and schools since its peak enrollment of 366,000 students in the mid-1960s. Enrollment has declined since then, propelled by the introduction of charter schools in the 1990s, and the church’s clergy sex abuse scandals in the early 2000s — which have resulted in multimillion-dollar settlements and financial strain for the church.
More than 67,000 students were enrolled at 186 Catholic schools in Cook and Lake counties in 2024, according to the archdiocese.

Enrollment Numbers

The six schools slated for closure had declining enrollment over the last decade, although their enrollment was relatively flat since 2020, according to filings with the Illinois State Board of Education. The two suburban schools, St. Hubert and Our Lady of Humility, had a little more than 200 students for the 2024-2025 school year:
Each Chicago school had lower numbers: St. Bruno and St. Richard had 191 students; St. Jerome had 114 across its two campuses; St Francis Borgia had 157; St. Stanislaus Kostka had 137.

Community Reaction

Eleventh Ward Ald. Nicole Lee lamented the closure of St. Jerome in Armour Square, built in 1922 and originally attended by the area’s Croatian population.
“St. Jerome’s has played a big role in educating our young people and the loss of this institution will be deeply felt,” she said in a social media post.
The school’s pastor, the Rev. Antonio Musa, said the school had an enrollment of 95 students this year and an expected deficit of $450,000.
The “financial burden of such a large deficit has become unbearable for the Parish at this time, and the Archdiocese decided to close the School,” he said in a social media post.

Impact of State Policies

The school lost many students in the last couple years, Musa said, after Illinois got rid of a program that funded scholarships for private school tuition. He said demographic trends in the area were not working in the school’s favor, and that the school had recently invested $4.5 million in the school’s campus over the last few years.
“One of our hopes was that this would reverse trends at our School,” Musa wrote. “Unfortunately, this did not happen.”
The archdiocese has previously blamed declining enrollment on the loss of the scholarship program for private schools. When the church closed two grade schools in suburban Berwyn and Cicero in 2024, leaders credited the state’s Invest in Kids state scholarship program with covering tuition for more than half of the schools’ students.

Personal Reflections

Leona Hunter took to Facebook to mourn the expected closing of St. Jerome, where she said she taught the fourth grade in the 1970s.
“My thoughts, love and prayers are with all of you at this difficult time,” she wrote. “Most of the schools I have taught in during my 40 years as an educator have closed.”

Conclusion

The closure of these six Catholic grade schools marks a significant change in the educational landscape of the Chicago area. As the Archdiocese of Chicago continues to navigate declining enrollment and financial challenges, it remains to be seen how these closures will impact the communities affected.

FAQs

• Q: How many Catholic grade schools are slated to close in the Chicago area?
  A: Six schools are slated for closure.
• Q: What are the reasons for the school closures?
  A: Declining enrollment and ongoing financial losses.
• Q: How many students are currently enrolled in Catholic schools in Cook and Lake counties?
  A: More than 67,000 students.
• Q: What program did the state eliminate that contributed to declining enrollment?
  A: The Invest in Kids state scholarship program.
• Q: What is the expected impact of the school closures on the communities affected?
  A: The closures are expected to have a significant impact on the communities, with many expressing sadness and loss for the institutions.