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After a difficult year of pandemic-accelerated enrollment losses and hobbled fundraising, six elementary schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles will close in June as one of the nation’s largest private educational systems struggles to keep many of its schools afloat.
Assumption in Boyle Heights, Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood, St. Catherine of Siena in Reseda, St. Ferdinand in San Fernando, St. Francis of Assisi in Silver Lake and St. Madeleine in Pomona are scheduled to be closed as part of a consolidation plan announced this week.
The schools largely enrolled children of working-class Latino families in many of the communities hardest hit during the pandemic. Parents have lost jobs and could no longer afford tuition that ranges from about $3,900 to $6,000 annually, leading to enrollment drops. The fiestas, jog-a-thons and bingo nights that boosted finances were canceled. The schools had been struggling for years and the pandemic broke their ability to
In-person instruction returns at a Catholic school in Boyle Heights
Life felt somewhat normal again.
On March 8, all of the pre-K through 8th-grade students will have the opportunity to return to in-person learning at this inner-city Catholic school. It’s nothing short of extraordinary. It’s been almost a year since a soaring COVID-19 infection rate shut down schools, businesses and churches in a desperate move to save lives, especially with LA County being the epicenter of the virus.
On-screen learning replaced classrooms and classmates. Parents and kids alike were forced to learn Zoom school overnight.
Here at Resurrection, parents work hard to provide for their families. The average income is $32,000 a year for a family of four. So things like updated computers and powerful WiFi are hardly a given. In fact, nearly all of the kids attending this parochial school are on financial scholarships.
As Los Angeles County hit the state milestone for allowing elementary schools to reopen, some school districts were set to welcome back students as soon as they received the green light.
BOYLE HEIGHTS (KABC) Resurrection Catholic School in Boyle Heights is highlighting Catholic school week with a special celebration: students dressed up as their favorite essential worker. I m dressed up as a doctor and my mom is a doctor, said Alexa. I like doctors and I like to help people.
It s also the first day back at school for several students since the start of the pandemic. Teachers say it s a great way to welcome students back and appreciate the sacrifices of so many others. It makes me feel good. It s really fun to see and that they look up to people in their community, said third-grade teacher Daniel Garcia.