Extremely low enrollment and financial concerns have prompted the closure of St. Gerard Catholic High School about a month before the resumption of classes, according to a statement from the Archdiocese of San Antonio’s Department of Catholic Schools.
The 95-year-old Catholic school, at 521 S New Braunfels Ave., confirmed just 35 students for enrollment for the 2022-23 school year, and with that many students, the projected budget deficit for operations of the school would have been more than $500,000, according to the statement.
“The archdiocese is very proud of the rich history and legacy of the contributions made by the St. Gerard Catholic School community and its alumni during its 95 years, and is greatly saddened that the school was not been able to overcome the challenges of enrollment and funding during these past few years of the pandemic,” the statement says.
The budget is funded by tuition revenue, donations and fundraising, as well as subsidies by the archdiocese. According to the statement, the archdiocese provided St. Gerard with large subsidies for the past several years that were “unsustainable,” according to the statement.
“As was discussed by Department of Catholic School personnel at a meeting with St. Gerard Catholic High School parents in early June, academic programming and quality must be offered with fidelity,” the statement reads. “Due to financial constraints, the school is unable to offer the programming that parents and students should expect for a quality Catholic education.”
The Department of Catholic Schools and the archdiocese will help families transition to another Catholic high school if they want to continue their Catholic education, including possible tuition assistance at other high schools.
St. Gerard was the only Catholic school located in the East Side.
