2 Catholic high schools to close in Phila

[lemonbeam]

Two Catholic high schools with storied Philadelphia pasts will close in June.

Cardinal Justin Rigali announced last night the closures of Cardinal Dougherty High School in East Oak Lane and Northeast Catholic High School for Boys in Frankford.

“I understand the deep emotions that may be felt by the communities of both Cardinal Dougherty and Northeast Catholic upon hearing the news,” Rigali said.

The closures reflect the persistent problems of rising costs, falling enrollment, and competition from publicly funded charter schools across the five-county archdiocese, especially in the city.

Rigali said the decision to close the schools was based on results of a study conducted over the last year.

Bishop Joseph P. McFadden, the auxiliary bishop who oversees Catholic education, said the decisions were final.

The closings underscore problems facing Catholic education across the country, including the Diocese of Camden, which has shut several schools in recent years.

Dougherty’s enrollment has plunged by more than 43 percent over the last decade and was projected to fall by an additional 34 percent in the next three years, authorities said.

The school, which has a capacity of more than 2,000 students, has 642 this year.

“The school’s physical plant is the third-largest in the archdiocese and is simply too large for the projected enrollment in the region,” Richard McCarron, secretary for Catholic education, and Superintendent Mary E. Rochford wrote in a letter to Dougherty parents.

More: philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20091009_2_Catholic_high_schools_to_close_in_Phila_.html