St. Charles Borromeo School Shuts Down

By on February 15, 2007 2:50 pm in News

coll1.gifA week after it suffered a small fire, the Brooklyn Eagle reports that St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School has closed its doors due to low enrollment. The paper reports that parents were told of the closing on Monday.   

Brooklyn Eagle: After educating Catholic children for more than a century, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School at 21 Sidney Place in Brooklyn Heights has abruptly closed its doors.

While the school had long been suffering from low enrollment and budget difficulties, and with next year’s opening in doubt, it was a fire that started in the basement last Tuesday that sounded its final death knell.

Last week’s fire occurred before the school day was scheduled to start, and no children were in the building at the time. However, the lunchroom, bathrooms and storage areas on the lower level were flooded and charred. The cause of the fire is being investigated by fire marshals.

According to Frank DeRosa, spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, the Diocese is now in the process of helping the school’s students enroll elsewhere.

“Queen of All Saints in Fort Greene and St. Francis Xavier, St. Saviour and Holy Name in Park Slope – all have offered space for parents to enroll their kids,” DeRosa said Tuesday.

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  • wayne

    New Condos?

  • Peter

    I bet either ST. Ann’s or Packer swoops it up. They always want more room.

  • Here_too_long

    Nah, Packer can’t afford their renovation of the old St Ann church – they’ve jacked up tuition almost 10% in 2 years & another 10% to come in the next 2. They’re not buying anything any time soon … I hope!

  • Teddy

    I’m sorry to hear that. I went there 20 years ago.

  • Christopher Mara

    It makes me so sad. I and my six siblings went to St. Charles. My grandparents joined the parish when they moved to Montague St. in 1943. My parents were part of the Parish council. My four brothers and I were altar boys and went through the Boy Scouts, Troop 213 there. The tall 19th century windows are always in my memory. We practically didn’t need to have lights on during sunny days. Sooo sad….

  • Mary

    It is totally unacceptable, that a school so centrally located had to close. Someone needs to be held accountable.

  • Deirdre

    I went to school there with Teddy and most of the Mara brothers – it was once a wonderful school, drawing a lot of support from the neighborhood. The decline of the school is a sad reflection on the very poor current leadership in the parish, which has been a severe problem for the past 16+ years. When is the Diocese going to wake up and pay attention to the complete distruction of the St Charles community?

  • Rios Family

    The closing of the school is no surprise to me and my family. I am an almunist of the school from 2001 and my dad and his brothers are alumnist from the 1960’s. My father and his brothers had a great education in its golden age. Me, I had a questionable education. I blame that on the people who governed this school in this era. And though I feel bad for the children I now where ever they go they will get a better education then they did there

  • Arvin

    That really sucks! I am an alum of that school too (I went from 1988-1995 until my parents moved out of NY). I was just googleing random stuff at work and saw this! It’s sad to see its closed now. I have such GREAT memories of my childhood there and that school in general.