Long Island Diocese To Close Third Elementary School

BALDWIN, NY — The Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre has announced the closure of another of its elementary schools due to decreased enrollment and a lack of funding.

The diocese announced on Monday that it would be closing Saint Christopher School in Baldwin at the end of the current school year. The announcement comes a week after the diocese also said it would be closing Saint Raymond School in East Rockaway and Saint Thomas the Apostle School in West Hempstead in June.

“Announcing this closing in addition to the announcements we made last week relating to the
closing of Saint Thomas the Apostle and Saint Raymond’s is very, very sad,” said Sean P. Dolan,
director of communications for the diocese. “The Diocese of Rockville Centre thanks the dedicated and committed principal and teachers, both lay and religious, who have taught at Saint Christopher’s,” said Dolan.

Saint Christopher School was founded in 1925 and is staffed by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. But over the last five years, the diocese said that enrollment declined by 41 percent, and the school had only 179 at the start of the 2020-21 school year.

Because of the decreased enrollment, the school was also struggling financially. The school required more than $350,000 per year in subsidies to continue operating, the diocese said.

Students at Saint Christopher will be allowed to transfer to other Catholic schools in the diocese. The diocese said anyone with questions can contact a hotline at 516-280-4124 or email education@drvcschools.org.