Our Lady of Peace Reacts to Catholic School Closings

was lucky enough to survive Tuesday's announcement from the Diocese of Rockville Centre that it will of its 53 Long Island elementary schools, but the Lynbrook school still had mixed feelings on the announcement.

"We are relieved that Our Lady Peace will be staying open -- but feel for those who will be shutting their doors," Principal Mary Dowden said.

Dowden said the thought of closing down has been on "all of their minds," but said the school is trying to stay positive and focus on the students.

"As we move forward, we will continue to offer a quality education that meets the needs of the students in our care," reads a statement on the school website.

Julie O'Connell, a parent of a second and a fourth grader at Our Lady Peace, was deeply saddened by the news.

"I can only imagine as a parent and a teacher how hard it will be to explain to these children that their school will not be open for them come next September," O'Connell said.

O'Connell touched upon economic hardships schools are facing and said she is hopeful for the future of Our Lady Peace.

"At a time like this, with a compromised economy, it is a major sacrifice to choose Catholic education, while paying high property taxes," O'Connell said. "I truly hope that the future of Catholic education remains a service that is available to our communities going forward."

According to the Diocese of RVC website, the six schools that will close at the end of the 2011-12 school year are:

• St. John Baptist de La Salle Regional School (Farmingdale)
• St. Catherine of Sienna School (Franklin Square)
• St. Ignatius Loyola School (Hicksville)
• Sacred Heart School (North Merrick)
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help School (Lindenhurst)
• Prince of Peace Regional School (Sayville)

The decision to close the six schools was arrived at for various reasons, including what Rockville Centre Bishop William Murphy described as "changing demographics and difficult national and local economic conditions."

Murphy also said that his Bishop’s Advisory Committee on Catholic Education completed a thorough evaluation of each of the elementary schools on Long Island. The evaluation took into account enrollment and school age demographic trends, the financial position of schools and parishes, and a review of the facilities, technology and programs offered.

According to Sean P. Dolan, director of communications for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, "Instead of closing individual schools each year like in the past, this time the Bishop wanted to develop a strategic plan for elementary education that would look at what we have today and what we need in the future."