The board of directors for the Erie Catholic School System have announced that Blessed Sacrament School will close at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. The system cited continuous decline in enrollment as the largest determining factor.
The Erie Catholic School System engaged the services of Meitler Consulting – a national firm focused on Catholic education – to conduct a growth and vitality study for the six schools within the system, working with key stakeholders to collect data from parents, teachers and administrators as well as analyzing financial and operational data.
The Meitler Plan is the first step toward a larger, multi-year strategic planning process that will focus on how Catholic education in Erie can better address the evolving needs of the community.
“While the closure of a school is always disappointing, I am grateful to the Erie Catholic School System board of directors for their leadership in this decision,” said the Most Rev. Lawrence T. Persico, bishop of Erie, “By thinking strategically for our future, we can ensure that every student, no matter their school, receives a high-quality, faith-based education with the support they need to thrive.”
The Erie Catholic School System is also in the final round of interviews for a new president for the system as Dr. Sam Signorino, who came out of retirement to serve as interim president of Erie Catholic when the need arose in 2023, steps back into retirement.
The Erie Catholic School System Board of Directors worked with the Catholic Schools Office to appoint a transition team under the leadership of Janice Whiteman, Transition Director, to ensure a smooth transition for school families, faculty, administrators and the school system in the coming months.
Opening its doors in the fall of 1939, Blessed Sacrament was staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph for generations. During its heyday in the mid-1950s, the school added ten rooms to its floorplan, accommodating more than 1,000 students. Today’s enrollment for students stands at 178.
Read more from the Erie Catholic School System here:
www.eriecatholic.org/erie-catholic-announces-blessed-sacrament-school-to-close-this-year.
