The Archdiocese of Baltimore may not have any Catholic schools on the chopping block now, but officials always are re-examining the possibility.
“We are working hard to evaluate and assess, and we have continuous dialogue,” said Ronald Valenti, Archdiocese of Baltimore superintendent, adding that a task force has been meeting on the topic for 2 1/2 years.
Declining enrollmentled the Archdiocese of Washington this week to propose closing four schools in and around Washington.
“It?s happening across the nation,” Valenti said.
Valenti attributed the closings to demographic shifts, declining enrollment, aging buildings and increasing tuition.
Those factors are compounded by the challenge that Catholic schools are tuition-driven and don?t receive state or federal funds to help sustain the facilities and teachers.
In Washington, more Catholics are leaving the older, city churches, while more churches and schools are being built in the suburbs, said Karen Ristau, president of the National Catholic Educational Association.
Most recently in the Baltimore area, St. Rita School in Dundalk and New All Saints Catholic School in Baltimore closed at the end of last school year.
Most students went to other nearby Catholic schools, Valenti said, which officials must consider when closing schools.
“Even though there may be a closing or consolidation, you still preserve the integrity of a presence of Catholic schools in the area,” he said.
Officials in Washington will meet with parents, parish councils and school staff and decide in January whether to close the schools, the archdiocese said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
