CATONSVILLE, Md. — Leadership with the Archdiocese of Baltimore announced Monday that the St. Agnes School in Catonsville will close following the end of the academic school year.
According to a statement by the Archdiocese, the closure comes as a result of 'Consistent years of declining enrollment' that has caused 'Significant financial strain on both the school and the parish.'
Officials say enrollment has declined 25% over the past few years, while needs and expenses have increased.
“We are deeply saddened by the recent announcement of St. Agnes Catholic School closure and understand the news is upsetting to the students, their families, staff and alumni of this beloved institution. This was not an easy decision to make and came after considerable discussion and extensive evaluation of the sustainability of the school. Unfortunately, consistent years of declining enrollment has caused significant financial strain on both the school and parish.
With enrollment down 25% percent over the past several years and with increasing needs and expenses, St. Agnes Catholic School cannot meet its operational expenses nor continue, in the long run, to meet the needs of our students and families. Over the last several years the Archdiocese of Baltimore has given significant support to the school and will keep doing so to ensure a successful and rewarding final 2024-25 academic year.
We pray that the transition for these students and families is a smooth one and we will work closely with them on placement in our other Catholic schools. We also pray for the dedicated staff at St. Agnes School and thank them for their years of dedication to our students and community."
The statement included that the Archdiocese has given "significant" support to the school and will continue to do so to make sure the final academic year is successful.
St. Agnes Catholic School serves students in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade and has a current enrollment of 171, which officials say is down from nearly 300 in 2011.
