Sheldon, Iowa (KTIV) — A Sheldon school has announced it will close its doors at the end of the school year.
St. Patrick’s Catholic School, located at 4th Ave. in Sheldon, announced on Friday, March 6th, that it will close its doors at the end of the academic school year, according to a release from the Diocese of Sioux City.
The diocese says that due to low and declining enrollment and other factors, the school determined it was not feasible to continue to operate.
As of this year, the diocese says St. Patrick has 42 students in grades Pre-K to 8. St. Patrick has been providing Catholic education to the Sheldon, Ashton, and Sibley areas for the last 70 years.
Bishop John E Keehner issued the following statement about the closure of St. Patrick’s Catholic School.
“It is a sad occasion whenever a Catholic school must close and we know this was a difficult decision for the leadership of St. Patrick. We are grateful for the many decades that St. Patrick Catholic School served the families and students in the Sheldon area, teaching the faith and academics to our young people. Let us all keep the St. Patrick family in our prayers as they process this news.”
The diocese also says staff and parents were advised of the closure on Friday afternoon. A message to parishioners will be given during the weekend.
Michael Murphy, St. Patrick’s School Board President, also shared concerns about how the closure may impact the community.
“As a product of Catholic education, I am distraught that there will no longer be an option for Catholic education in our community. With declining enrollment, we did not see a path forward. We want to thank our supporters – without you, the run we had would not have been possible,” Murphy said.
KIWA Staff Photo
