Dozens of angry and disappointed parents let the priest know last night they are not happy about the closing of Saint Joseph's school in Miami Beach.
The Catholic Archdiocese made the announcement Friday in a letter to parents and Monday night they got an earful at a special meeting.
Why the closure?
In a word: money. Saint Joseph's school is pre-school to 8th grade, and enrollment has dropped over the years to just 136. Spread over ten grades, that’s not enough to stay in business, the church said.
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But angry parents and alumni who have great affection for Saint Joseph's think this decision is coming too quickly with not enough time for parents to help save enrollment. Many don't believe they're getting straight answers from the archdiocese.
"We believe that the school is closing unfortunately not so much for economic reasons but because it's been very badly administered the last four years," parent Soraya Batista said.
Priest Enrique Estrada said it's the lack of students, nothing else.
"We cannot operate a school with so few families and children," he said.
With enrollment dwindling - despite a late push for new students - Father Estrada says his parish will stay open but Saint Joseph's school, after more than half a century, will close this spring.
"Obviously the economy is not helping us,” said Father Estrada, “and we are trying to do our best."
"A lot of things are being hidden," declared parent Lissette Campos. She’s like a lot of parents at Monday night's meeting who just don't think they're getting all the information.
"Oh, I'm not happy about it," said Monica Kakanis. "They're closing this school down and you know it was very short notice. And I'm not sending my daughter here yet. She's too young but I wanted to send her here in a couple of years. And now there's no hope for that."
The Catholic Archdiocese announced last year it was closing schools and even some parishes as budget disaster hit the church. The Archdiocese says closing Saint Joseph’s is separate from that, although the money issues are similar.
Still, some are refusing to give up and determined to convince the church to keep Saint Joseph's open.
"So we gotta pray that that happens,” said Bonita Bona, another Saint Joseph parent, “because I feel that we're one of a kind here and we love this place."
The faith remains alive while the church is helping to move Saint Joseph students to nearby Catholic schools for the next school year.
