LAKELAND, Fla. — The Catholic Diocese of Orlando is closing one of its schools in Lakeland partly due to COVID-19.
What You Need To Know
- St. Joseph Academy faced 40 student decrease in enrollment, causing $500K funding gap
- Superintendent of Diocese will help students transfer to other Catholic schools
- Parents trying to save school through GoFundMe campaign
- More Polk County stories
Parents of students at St. Joseph Academy in Lakeland said they learned the school was closing through an email on May 22. They called it a shock and felt the news came out of nowhere.
“It’s just such a big loss for everybody,” said Tracey Park, whose twins attend 7th grade there. “We’re being pulled apart to all different schools and these kids are really going to miss each other. It’s very sad.”
Superintendent of Catholic Schools Henry Fortier said the school was facing a 40 student decrease in enrollment, creating a $500,000 funding gap. He said having to close the school was “probably the hardest decision [he] had to make in [his] nine years” as superintendent.
The school also has a $5.5 million mortgage it was having trouble paying. That and previous plans to raise $1.5 million to renovate the former school were all reasons Fortier said they decided to help St. Joseph students transfer to other catholic schools in Polk County instead.
Fortier said the other catholic schools have room for the 138 impacted families. But parents have started a GoFundme fundraiser and petition as a last ditch effort to save the school.
“I’m hoping for a magic wand to come and save us but at this point I’m not optimistic,” Parker said.
The superintendent said they need to raise $2 - $3,000,000 million in donations in order for the school to open its doors in the fall.
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