The pastor whose parish sponsors SS. Peter and Paul School in Lehighton has announced after a nine-month study that because of enrollment and financial challenges, the school will close at the end of the current school year.

In a letter to parents sent home with students today and mailed for delivery tomorrow, the Rev. Michael Ahrensfield  said SS. Peter and Paul students will be eligible for $1,500 grants to defray tuition at other Catholic schools in the Diocese of Allentown next school year.Enrollment at SS. Peter and Paul has been below 100 for ten straight years and stands at 86 this year. Only 71 students had registered for next year.The school has been in deficit spending for several years. To fully support the school, the parish contributed above and beyond the parish subsidy figure that had been budgeted and has been drawing from parish savings, which are almost exhausted.  Since 2010, the parish has contributed more than $650,000 in school subsidy to SS. Peter & Paul School.That is above ordinary parish income. During that period, the parish used more than $350,000 of parish savings to cover school shortfalls.Ahrensfield announced a study of the school in October. A committee, consisting of the pastor, the principal, the finance manager, the school board president, a school parent, two parish leaders and diocesan representatives, has been meeting regularly to review the challenges facing the school.Two key benchmarks were set as the study continued, enrollment for the 2014-15 school year would need to be 97 students and money would have to be raised to cover the school operating deficit for this school year. The committee has worked diligently searching for workable solutions. Additional fundraising events were held and additional funds were raised. But, as the pastor wrote in the letter, “Some progress was made and I am deeply grateful for all that has been done by the SS. Peter and Paul School family.  Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, a solution that sufficiently addressed the enrollment and financial challenges at the school could not be found.” Ahrensfield also wrote, “I remain committed to Catholic education and will continue to subsidize any parishioner of SS. Peter and Paul Parish that is enrolled in a Catholic school education (K-8) in the Diocese of Allentown.  It is also important to note that students from SS. Peter and Paul School will be able to register at any of the other Catholic schools in the Diocese of Allentown. There will continue to be opportunities for a Catholic school education for the children who have been attending our school.”    Included with the letter to parents was a list of all Catholic elementary schools in Carbon County.  The principals of those schools will be advised of the situation at SS. Peter and Paul and will provide additional information upon request to Peter and Paul parents about their schools. There was also information on the $1,500 Catholic Education Continuation Grant for which Peter and Paul students are now eligible. The pastor’s recommendation was reviewed by the Diocesan Pastoral Council, the Diocesan Council of Priests; the Bishop’s Commission on Catholic Schools and the Diocesan Board of Education and was accepted by Diocese of Allentown Bishop John Barres.