St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School to Remain Open

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Regional School is one of 47 Catholic elementary schools that will remain open next year, according to the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

The Diocese announced Tuesday that six of the 53 Long Island elementary schools will close at the end of the 2011-2012 school year, including Sacred Heart School in neighboring North Merrick.

Sean Dolan, director of communications of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said that Bishop William Murphy informed pastors of the closings on Monday.

According to the Diocese website, the other five schools that will close are:

• St. John Baptist de La Salle Regional School (Farmingdale)
• St. Catherine of Sienna School (Franklin Square)
• St. Ignatius Loyola School (Hicksville)
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help School (Lindenhurst)
• Prince of Peace Regional School (Sayville)

Dolan said that a strategic plan was put into place to determine which schools would remain open.

"Instead of closing individual schools each year like in the past, this time the Bishop wanted to develop a strategic plan for elementary education that would look at what we have today and what we need in the future," he said.

Dolan said that Murphy formed an advisory committee to develop the plan and that each school was evaluated on enrollment, demographic changes at the school, the age of students in the area, the financial situation of the school and its parish and programs offered.

Margie Lampert, director of religious education of St. Barnabas Parish said she was elated when she heard that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School will remain open. Lambert's parish uses the building to teach religious education classes to public school students.

"I was very happy when I heard because the principal and the staff do a remarkable job with the students," she said. "Even though it is a regional school, it is a family."

Lambert said that she sympathizes with the parents and students of the schools that are closing. She said that she hopes parents will consider St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School.

"Sacred Heart in Merrick is the closet school and I hope those parents take a tour of [St. Elizabeth]," she said.

Dolan said that he knows all the Diocese schools will welcome children with open arms.

"The schools that remain open will create a warm environment," he said. "They will lay out the welcome mat for children of schools that will close."