The Archdiocese of New York announced this week that six schools will close: one in Manhattan, four in the Bronx and one in Sullivan County.

The affected schools are Saint Gregory the Great, Manhattan; SS. Peter and Paul, St. Ann, Visitation, Visitation, and St. Mary’s, all in the Bronx; and Saint Peter’s Regional, Liberty.

All students will be guaranteed a seat at a Catholic school within the Archdiocese of New York. SS. Peter and Paul School will transition, beginning in September, from a kindergarten through eighth-grade school to a universal pre-k school to meet the increasing demands in the community for early childhood and universal pre-k services.

St. Peter’s Regional School in Sullivan County will also cease operations at the end of the current school year. The school had seen a decline in enrollment in recent years and already had transitioned from a full-service elementary school to a pre-k to fourth-grade school. The archdiocese will provide families with support to transition students to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middletown, or other local schools.

“We understand these are challenging times for many families, and we will work with all students who are seeking to continue their Catholic education to find a seat at another excellent school in the Archdiocese,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Timothy McNiff said in a news release. “These are difficult but necessary decisions, and working together we will ensure our Catholic schools are stronger than ever.”

The Federation of Catholic Teachers said the archdiocese did not give its members ample warning about the school closings.