NY Archdiocese Plans To Close 27 Schools

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Archdiocese of New York says 27 Catholic schools that had received heavy subsidies due to declining enrollment will close at the end of the current academic year.

The archdiocese on its website Tuesday said the closures of 26 elementary schools and one high school will affect roughly 3,700 students.

The schools include three in Manhattan, six in the Bronx and four on Staten Island. Nine schools are in Westchester and Putnam counties and the rest are in Orange and Ulster counties.

Last fall the archdiocese put out a list of 32 "at-risk" schools. Four were saved; the decision on one was postponed.

The closings will save the archdiocese approximately $10 million a year. The archdiocese says it will continue to spend about $13 million a year to support the remaining 189 Catholic schools.