OAKLAND, Calif. (CNS) – The face of Catholic education in the Diocese of Oakland, Calif., will change with a plan that will close five schools and move seven schools into a separate network charged with bolstering the educational and faith formation experience by sharing teaching specialists and administrative services.

The five schools that will close at the end of the 2016-17 school year are: St. Jarlath, Lawrence O’Toole and Martin de Porres, all in Oakland; Our Lady of the Rosary School in Union City; and St. Jerome School in El Cerrito.

Parents at the five schools that are closing were notified by letter sent home with students Jan. 19. The closure affects approximately 642 students and 90 employees. There is ample room for the students at the seven network schools, as well as nearby Catholic schools, the diocese said.