Parents start campaign to save school
Updated 6:30 pm, Sunday, March 25, 2012
SCHENECTADY — Parents and their children who attend St. John the Evangelist school stood outside services Saturday and Sunday asking for signatures of support from their home parishioners to keep the school open.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany announced a week ago it will close the city's last Catholic grade school because of low enrollment. There are only about 84 students enrolled for fall classes for the prekindergarten through sixth grade school at 806 Union St.
Mary Riker, a Sunday school teacher at the church, said parents are gauging support within the school's home parish first before going into the community to possibly ask for donations to save St. John's.
Riker said outside services supporters got a lot of well wishes, but also comments about how likely nothing can stop the school's closure.
"We have to give it the old college try," she said.
The school will shut its doors in June.