Faced with declining enrollment and costly structural repairs, Most Precious Blood School in Long Island City will close at the end of the 2014-15 academic year.
“Most Precious Blood School has been the heart of the parish since 1957,” said Father William Krlis, pastor. “The simple fact is, the building is in need of costly structural repair. Enrollment has dropped precipitously over the past five years. From kindergarten through eighth grade, enrollment is 191 students, which has dropped 20 students since last year alone.” In September, 2008, the enrollment in kindergarten through eighth grade was 303 students.
Currently, structural repairs are needed in Most Precious Blood School, and also in Most Precious Blood Church. Repairs are estimated at $5.5 million, inclusive of both the school and the church buildings. “We do not have the funds to complete this work,” said Father Krlis.
In the school building, this includes an estimated $2.55 million in necessary repairs. This work cannot be done while the school building is occupied on a full-time basis.
In the church building, there is an estimated $3 million in necessary repairs. Within the last six months, the south wall of the church building began to separate and was shored up until further repairs could be made.
“These essential building repairs, combined with declining enrollment, will not allow us to continue,” said Father Krlis. “This decision was not made easily. After much dialogue with all relevant parties, including officials from the Diocese of Brooklyn and local Catholic schools, as well as consulting with engineering firms regarding the state of these necessary repairs, I presented these facts to Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. With his support, I made this painful decision in the best interest of the parish community.”
Dr. Thomas Chadzutko, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn, said that Catholic schools in neighboring parishes will have seats to accommodate students, and information on Open Houses will be made available in the coming days.
It’s sad that Catholic Schools throughout our Diocese continue to close. This may have been avoided if Governor Andrew Cuomo had delivered on his promise to Cardnal Dolan and put through legislation granting education tax credits or similar. Rather, Governor Cuomo got the support he wanted, played politics and didn’t deliver. Now we are stuck with him for four more years. How many more schools will close?
It is very sad to see Most Precious Blood School School close. It is a
continuing sign of the times with wage inequality that families can no
longer afford to provide a Catholic School education for their children.
I attended Most Precious Blood from Kindergarten to 4th grade. I am
very blessed to have had the opportunity to have been a student and
to receive my first Holy Communion. The last time I was at Most Precious
Blood was for a memorial service for the death of my Father in 1999.
To the students of Precious Blood may God bless you and peace
be with you all. I will keep you in my prayers.
How sad. I attended MPB School 1958/1963. How fortunate I was to have had those wonderful Sisters of St. Joseph.There were 16 sisters teaching back in those days…can you imagine that! Even the convent is gone. I was an altar boy with the beautiful Latin mass. How sad to see such decline in my church.