Pair of Los Angeles Catholic schools closing due to poor enrollment

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is closing a pair of Catholic schools next year due to plummeting enrollment numbers.

The closures were confirmed in an email released by the Archdiocese on Tuesday.

“While we have been blessed to have had continued increases in overall school enrollment at our Catholic schools since the pandemic, some Catholic schools … like St. Agnes and St. Teresa of Avila, have been impacted by ongoing changing demographics in some neighborhoods and economic pressures on families,” a portion of the email read.

The two schools mentioned sit about 5 miles apart with St Agnes Catholic School on West Adams Boulevard in the Adams-Normandie neighborhood of South Los Angeles and St. Teresa of Avila located on Fargo Street in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Central Los Angeles.

The Archdiocese said enrollment at St. Agnes fell 73.5% over the past five years to only 60 students in grades TK-8.

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The numbers were only slightly better at St. Teresa of Avila which saw an enrollment decline of 67.5% to just 37 students in grades TK-8 over the same period.

With the trend expected to continue into the upcoming school year, the Archdiocese said the schools were no longer financially able to continue operations.

“The decision for the parishes was not an easy one,” the email stated. “It was made after careful discernment with the Archdiocese and after continued efforts to improve sustainability of the schools over the past several years, including support from donors and the Archdiocese.”

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The email said the Archdiocese would work with families to place students at other Catholic schools and help teachers and staff find work for the upcoming school year.

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