St. Mary School closing

WORCESTER – Following the recommendation of the diocesan Catholic Schools Office and the Office of Fiscal Affairs, Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish has announced, with sadness, that St. Mary’s pre-K through grade 12 school will close at the end of the 2019- 2020 school year this June. Father Richard Polek, pastor, notified Bishop McManus in a letter today.

“Catholic schools, particularly high schools, have become nearly impossible to operate by individual parishes,” said Bishop McManus. “I am truly grateful for the valiant attempts the teachers and staff at. St. Mary’s Schools have made in recent years.”

Father Polek said, “The bishop and his staff also made it clear to me that the diocese  could not cover operating losses at individual parish schools as we prepared our budget for the fall.

“I cannot say enough about how grateful we are to the teachers and staff at St. Mary’s Schools. They have worked very hard and at great personal sacrifice to keep this school open, especially over the past few years.”

The school is sending notices to everyone today (Monday) informing them of the decision and will now work to find the best place for each family. This is an especially difficult time as students are in final exams week.  

Tuition for St. Mary’s schools is $4,900 (elementary) and $7,295 (high school) – 40 percent of the students were receiving diocesan financial aid.

Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish opened its elementary school in 1915 and its high school in 1936 at the current location on Richland Street. The school survived many hardships including the pandemic of 1918 and demographic changes to the neighborhood. The school served generations of immigrants and 70 percent of its current student body are students of color.