Immaculate Heart of Mary and Holy Name to Close, Combine into New School

Though it has been in the works for the past three years, parents and students at the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Holy Name of Jesus schools were surprised to learn that the schools, which each have a rich history in the area, will close in June 2012, a year earlier than expected.

Pastors and principals announced the news to parents on Friday. After this school year, IHM and Holy Name will close their doors and reopen in September combined as St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy. St. Joseph will be located at the Holy Name of Jesus site.

What that means for IHM is a possibility of increased revenue. The school will be rented to help pay off the parish's diocesan debt, and to help to support St. Joseph, explained Rev. Robert B. Adamo in the church bulletin: "This support will help to secure financial stability as well as allow for creative ways to address effective marketing, and recruitment and retention of students as we continue the mission to provide excellence in Catholic education with a distinct academic program that will meet the needs of students."

"There are only so many who can donate so much money before the well is dry," commented Richard MacDougall on the IHM School Facebook Group. "The choice was unpleasant, but simple: Keep the school open and lose both the school and the church within a year or two; or, dissolve the school and use the building rent to support the church."

It's a growing phenomenon in the borough, as 28 Catholic schools have closed here in the past six years. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn has been working on ways to ensure the success of an academy model, which they plan to put in place by 2017--the goal in our area is to have a regional Catholic elementary academy.