Parents’ responses to the closure announcement at Saint Kateri School

Irondequoit, New York – After learning that Saint Kateri School in Irondequoit will permanently close at the conclusion of the current school year, parents of children there are voicing their dissatisfaction and regret.

The school informed families in a letter on Friday that the closure, which is set for June, is the result of dwindling enrollment.

“They’ve put their all into this, and we’ve all tried to find ways to raise funds to increase enrollment, and quite frankly, the administrators have been nothing but resistant,” said Andrea Holland, a parent of a kindergarten student at Saint Kateri. We will therefore focus our efforts and energy where they are most needed.

Holland also said that he felt betrayed. “It’s been very challenging not to feel duped, not to feel lied to,” she stated. “The administrators informed us during the entire process that this was a solid, safe environment to establish our child’s future, an educational future, and one with ideals we shared, but it was untrue. It was untrue.

According to a statement issued by the Diocese of Rochester, the closure will “alleviate serious financial stress on the parish.” Although there are presently only 62 registered, the institution apparently requires 108 pupils to maintain a balanced budget.

Parents are calling for a reexamination of the diocese’s decision.

“It’s a good community,” Peter Farrell, a dad, said. “You take this away, it’s the last Catholic grade school left in the Irondequoit community, so it’d be sad to see it go.”

Many families nevertheless find the news upsetting, despite the diocese’s pledge to help youngsters register at local Catholic schools.

“Six months is going to have to be enough time to find a new place for all of our families to find schools for our kids to attend,” Holland stated. “We are aware that there are welcoming, joyful, open, and lovely towns and schools out there. This is still awful. This is terribly, really painful.