ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) — Parents of children attending a 113-year-old Catholic school in Astoria, Ore., have been told it will close at the end of the school year because of escalating budget deficits.
Principal Tom Rogozinski and the Rev. Ken Sampson told parents Wednesday in a letter that the decision to close St. Mary, Star of the Sea was made by the Archdiocese of Portland.
They say the school has faced serious financial challenges for several decades and those have escalated in recent years with budget deficits between $100,000 and $250,000.
The Oregonian reports the letter says the closure is not tied to any impropriety or mismanagement by current or previous leadership. The two men cited what they called “the profoundly challenging nature of funding Catholic schools in the 21st century.”
