St. Anne Catholic School closing in May after 70 years
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — After 70 years, Las Vegas’s oldest standing Catholic school is closing. Time is ticking for St. Anne Catholic School in the east valley off Maryland Parkway and Oakey Boulevard.
Parents received a letter in February from the Office of the Archdiocese.
It said St. Anne will close due to “continued diminishing enrollment and tremendous financial challenges.”
Janelle Jenkins, a step-mother of a 4th grader, said, “It is heartbreaking. We are going to miss all the staff and teachers. We actually came from St. Christopher’s … and that school closed as well.”
Jenkins isn’t the only one.
Chelsey Jones De Oca’s son Caden came from St. Christopher too.
“The statement to me that was made by leaders of our school was that there was no other school on the radar to close because we had the students,” Jones De Oca said.
The letter to parents said over the last 10 years, St. Anne has seen a 60% decline in enrollment. It further cited the loss of revenue from the Nevada Opportunity Scholarship funds.
Suzanne Soto is frustrated with the third move they’ve had to make following St. Joseph and St. Christopher closures.
“They just keep closing all the ones on the side of town where we need them. And we don’t have other private schools we can afford,” Soto said. “I don’t see them advertising for kids to come other than a banner.”
Father Miguel Corral said the school has tried other recruitment efforts.
“None of us want any more schools to close, but we try our best. We can’t be blamed for not advertising, or announcement or making it known,” he said.
He explained it was a heavy decision, with a lot of thought and prayer.
Over the last decade, the school already relied on the archdiocese and the parish for financial support upwards of $5 million.
St. Anne closes at the end of May; its students will be given priority enrollment at other Catholic schools.
Staff can also transfer to other schools.
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