The Michigan Catholic

BERKLEY — Parents of students at Our Lady of La Salette School in Berkley were informed March 20 that the school will close at the end of the current academic year because of declining enrollment.

The Archdiocese of Detroit announced the closure the next day on its website. The school, sponsored by Our Lady of La Salette Parish, has 73 students — its enrollment down by nearly half since the 2008-09 school year.

The school was founded in 1943, and hit its peak in the 1960s, when nearly 1,000 students were enrolled.

Kimberly Young, interim superintendent of Catholic schools for the archdiocese, thanked parents and volunteers at the school and parish for their dedication over the years.

“It is with great sadness that we learn of the closing of Our Lady of La Salette School,” said Young. “The parish and school community, including the parents, are to be commended for their many efforts over the years and for their strong commitment to Our Lady of La Salette School. It is always a very difficult decision for a parish to have to close a school, and it always is a decision of last resort.”

While the school is closing, Our Lady of La Salette Parish will offer tuition assistance to families of students currently enrolled to attend other Catholic schools in the area. Five other Catholic schools are in a five-mile radius of Our Lady of La Salette.

Our Lady of La Salette operates kindergarten through eighth grade, and also offers a preschool program.

A restructuring of archdiocesan parishes began in February 2012 through the second phase of the Together in Faith pastoral plan, and a plan for similar restructuring of archdiocesan schools could be recommended to the archbishop later this year.

In 2012, parish and school stakeholders were tasked with developing a strategic plan for Catholic schools that meets four major goals: maintaining a strong Catholic culture and identity, keeping a solid academic foundation, helping Catholic schools become accessible for all children, and eliminating debts and operating losses.