Jamaica Plain school slated to close in June

JAMAICA PLAIN -- After over 90 years of providing Catholic education to the local community, Our Lady of Lourdes School in Jamaica Plain announced Jan. 14 that it will close its doors in June, at the conclusion of the current academic year.

According to Father Brendan P. Buckley, the pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, a deciding factor in the closing has been a steady and significant budget deficit each year, resulting in a current academic year shortfall of $240,000. Additionally, “decreased enrollment, increased costs and the hard reality of today’s economy make it impossible to keep the school operating,” he said.

“We make this announcement with a heavy heart, but confident in the knowledge that we can continue to provide the families of Jamaica Plain with a strong Catholic educational option,” said Father Buckley.

The Archdiocese of Boston’s Catholic Schools Office said that they are working to ensure that every student currently enrolled at Our Lady of Lourdes will be offered a seat in one of the neighboring Catholic schools.

The school is planning to host an open house in two weeks. Representatives from other local Catholic schools will be in attendance to provide current students’ families with information to aid in their decision.

The archdiocese also said teachers and staff will have the opportunity to apply for other positions at Catholic schools within the archdiocese.