St. Joseph's in Brookfield Reorganizes, Invests in Tech

BROOKFIELD, CT --- St. Joseph School will get a curriculum makeover in July when the Diocese of Bridgeport introduces multi-age "blended learning" into the classrooms.

Re-christened as St. Joseph Catholic Academy Brookfield, the school will be organized into five “bands” that combine grade levels: preschool 3- and 4-year-olds; kindergarten through second grade; third and fourth grades; fifth and sixth grades; and seventh and eighth grades. There will be a greater emphasis on classroom technology designed to help students learn at their own pace.

The current school has an enrollment of 154 students and been challenged by both mounting financial debt and enrollment challenges, according to a report in Fairfield County Catholic. This year it is projecting a deficit of $200,000 and total accumulated debt of over $1.2 million over the past eight years.

Bishop Caggiano introduced the plan for the transition of St. Joseph School of Brookfield into the new model St. Joseph Academy at a meeting concerning the future of the school on January 18 in St. Joseph Church. The diocese is working to identify a major donor to raise the more than $250,000 for technology and the re-training of teachers that will be necessary to get the project across the finish line.