St. John Bosco School to close in June
42 years after opening
PARMA HEIGHTS-The 32 members of the eighth grade class of 2008 will be the last to receive diplomas from St. John Bosco School. The final day of classes at the school will be on June 10.
Named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in the 1990’s, the school will close because of rising costs and decreasing enrollment, school officials said.
At one time, the school had more than 500 students. Today enrollment stands at 242 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
It is the seventh diocesan school to announce it will close or merge during the current academic year.
Several plans to keep the 42-year-old school operating past this academic year fell short of expectations and an earlier merger attempt with a nearby Catholic grade school did not materialize, said Father David Liberatore, pastor of St. John Bosco Parish.
“I am deeply saddened by this school closing,” Father Liberatore said. “I feel for everyone involved.”
The parish is working with the other area Catholic grade schools to register students from St. John Bosco. It is expected that a number of students also will attend a public school in the next academic year.
“There’s a sense of sadness throughout the school,” said second-year principal Eileen Updegrove. “We’re going through the different stages of grief. We’ve remained very professional throughout these unusual circumstances and the students remain our No. 1 priority.”
The Parish Child Care and Development Center and the PSR classes will remain open at St. John Bosco.
At the end of the school year, a celebration of the long years of service provided by the school will bring families, friends, former teachers and alumni together.
Parishioner Cindy Rosko was involved in the fundraising plans to keep the school open, and has a daughter who is a St. John Bosco graduate. Her third-grade son attends the school.
“My heart goes out to Father David. He did just about everything he possibly could do to keep the school open, but the parish was just losing too much money to keep it open,” she said.
Rosko remains philosophical about the situation.
“I wanted my son, Jacob, to enjoy the same experience at St. John Bosco as my daughter Emily,” she said.
“My mother told me that you follow the path that God has given to you and try to make the best of it.”
Mieskoski is a freelance writer.
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