Rome Catholic School to close in June

Last day of school scheduled for Tuesday, June 25

ROME, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) — The Syracuse Diocese announced on Tuesday, April 16 that the Rome Catholic School will be closing at the end of the school year.

Currently, school enrollment — excluding students in its Pre-K program — is only 49 students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

“This decision was not made lightly. Over the past few years, we have been faced with ongoing challenges, primarily stemming from declining enrollment and financial constraints,” the Syracuse Diocese said in a letter to parents. “Despite our best efforts to sustain and strengthen the school community, the combination of these factors has unfortunately led us to this difficult outcome.”

The school opened in 1963 on Cypress Street when the Academy of the Holy Names and St. Aloysius Academy closed. In 1986, the junior high school — which had been opened 12 years earlier — merged with the senior high school and became Rome Catholic Junior-Senior High School. At the time, the school drew from ten different public school districts and 13 parishes.

The last class of Rome Catholic Junior-Senior High School graduated in 2013, and the school became solely an elementary school, serving only grades Pre-K through six. In September of 2016, the school was moved to the former St. Peter’s School on Floyd Avenue, staying there three years before moving back to its original location.

“We are profoundly grateful for the unwavering support and dedication you have shown to Rome Catholic throughout the years,” the diocese said in its letter to parents. “Your commitment to Catholic education has been instrumental in shaping the lives of our students and contributing to the spirit of Rome’s Catholic community.”

The diocese has said that staff will be working closely with families to assist with transitions to other schools and other educational options. Other schools in the area within the Syracuse Diocese include Notre Dame Elementary in Utica, as well as the St. Patrick’s School in the city of Oneida.

According to the school’s website, the last day for classes at Rome Catholic this year is scheduled for Tuesday, June 25.