Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese Closing School, 3 Churches
BRIDGEVILLE (KDKA) -- For 65 years, Holy Child School has been a mecca for Catholic education.
Parents and students have given the school on Station Street in Bridgeville high marks for the caring faculty, excellent value and small class sizes.
But with just 82 students enrolled in kindergarten through eight grade this year -- and only 53 for next Fall -- the classes are now so small that the Diocese is closing the school.
"My kids love going to school here, but we're sad to hear it's closing," said Tricia Powell who has three children at Holy Child. She says she feels the ax fell without fair notice.
"As late as we found out we really couldn't do anything to change enrollment," she added.
Erin Egan, 11, would have been the fifth person in her family to go here.
"It's hard because all my brothers and sisters went here - and they all graduated," she said.
"We're very sad to hear our school is closing," said Christina Costain, who has four boys at Holy Child. She says they only got a month's notice.
"For the past couple of years was in great standing and we didn't have anything to worry about," she said.
"It was a wonderful 12 years, but it was a very sad way to end it," says parent Denise Sarnowski. "You feel almost like you were evicted."
For Jamie Zik, it is doubly hard. She attended school here - and now teaches second grade.
"Our amazing faculty has nowhere to go. People are worried about their families and their homes," she said.
But when that final - final - bell rings Wednesday, she's ready.
"Pray that when one door closes - another one will open," she said.
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