Families of Saint Katherine Drexel Academy are fighting to keep their school open after the Catholic Diocese of San Diego notified them it would close at the end of the year due to financial challenges.
The diocese filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in June in the wake of more than 450 legal claims made against it by sexual abuse victims.
Molly Martinez and Rio Shay are fourth graders at Saint Katherine Drexel Academy.
“I’ve been here for five years," Molly said. "I think if I went to a different school, my personality would change, and my life would change."
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“It’s special. There's like no bullies," Rio said. "There’s really nice kids here."
They both love their school, and they are not alone.
Steve Carter is a parent to 8th and 5th-grade students there. He also cares about it.
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Carter said on Oct. 18, parents received an email from the Superintendent of Schools with the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego informing them the interim principal had resigned.
That day, the Superintendent of Schools also sent out a letter notifying them the school would close at the end of this year due to enrollment and financial challenges the diocese is facing since filing for bankruptcy.
“It was a gut punch. We didn’t see it coming,” Carter said. “On October 24, a meeting between the superintendent, the bishop, and all the parents and staff and community members that really support SKDA, and at that event there was a great and passionate plea of trying to keep the school open."
Following that meeting, they received another letter from the Superintendent of Schools stating that if they raised half a million dollars and enrolled an additional 30 students by Feb. 1 of next year, the school could remain open.
“In the end, we have to make a decision based on what’s best for, you know, Catholic schools as a whole, and I hope they’re successful, but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in February,” Kevin Eckery, a spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of San Diego said.
Hannah Subcleff, who is a counselor at the school, said what matters most is what’s best for the students.
“It’s been really difficult," she said. "The impending closure makes things really hard, and everyone definitely is very sad and very stressed."
Carter said they are remaining hopeful that classroom seats will be filled with many years to come.
“We are definitely hoping for a Christmas miracle because that’s what it’s going to take to have the $500,000 donation requirement and then also the 30-plus student enrollments,” Carter said.
The diocese said if they’re not able to keep the school open, the money raised will be returned, and the school building will be used for other religious purposes.
