Holy Spirit Academy in New Castle to close

Holy Spirit Academy, the Catholic school serving students in pre-K through eighth grade in New Castle, will close at the end of the academic year, the Diocese of Pittsburgh said Thursday.

The Rev. Joseph McCaffrey, pastor at Holy Spirit Parish, submitted his request to close the school to Bishop David Zubik due to ongoing concerns over declining enrollment, financial difficulties and rising tuition costs. Zubik granted the request.

“In doing so, I also want to recognize the wonderful contributions of teachers and staff at Holy Spirit Academy who dedicated themselves to educating our children in the Catholic faith and of the many school families and parishioners who have worked diligently over the past number of years in support of the school,” Zubik said in a statement.

Children in the academy will be assisted “in every way possible” to attend other available Catholic schools, a news release said, including nearby Saint John Paul II Elementary School in Hermitage, which is part of the Diocese of Erie.

“The school has a 113-year legacy in New Castle, and it is the last Catholic school in Lawrence County,” said Michelle Peduto, director of schools for the diocese. “This decision is truly bittersweet for all involved. Father McCaffrey and many in his faith community tried very hard to keep the building open. I applaud their hard work and creative thinking to support the children.”

In a statement, McCaffrey said he had hired a new principal, established an advisory board with community professionals and mounted a campaign that raised more than $365,000 for the school.

“Even with all these efforts, the school still struggles,” he said.

Holy Spirit Academy is not the first in the diocese to struggle with enrollment and finances, or the first to close because of it. Just last year, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament School in Natrona Heights closed permanently, due to mounting debt and enrollment declines. Numerous other schools in the diocese have merged with one another throughout the last several months.