The Diocese of Rockville Centre has announced that three Long Island Catholic elementary schools will close due to financial hardships from lack of enrollment amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Holy Family Regional School in Commack, Our Lady of Wisdom Regional School in Port Jefferson and Saint Peter of Alcantara Elementary School in Port Washington will not reopen in September.
Some parents who lost their jobs during the pandemic decided to pull their children out of parochial school. That, combined with decades-long enrollment declines and fundraising difficulties, have put the schools in the red.
Advocacy groups say dozens of private religious and non-religious schools are likely to close without federal assistance. They say that will put more strain on social distancing in public schools that will have to take in the additional students.