NY archdiocese to close 27 schools, saving $10M

NEW YORK – The Archdiocese of New York says 27 Catholic schools that received heavy subsidies due to declining enrollment will close at the end of the current academic year.

The archdiocese said Tuesday on its website the closures of 26 elementary schools and one high school will affect 3,700 students.

Thirteen of the schools are in New York City. The others are in counties north of the city.

Last fall the archdiocese released a list of 32 at-risk schools. Four were saved; the decision on one was postponed.

The New York archdiocese is the nation's second-largest diocese after Los Angeles. It covers a region with 2.5 million parishioners.

The school closings will save the archdiocese $10 million a year. The archdiocese says it will continue to spend $13 million a year to support the remaining 189 Catholic schools.