BELLE CHASSE, La. — Just a month and a half after announcing that Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in Plaquemines Parish would close due to declining enrollment and a large deficit, the Archdiocese of New Orleans has reversed course and said the school will remain open, at least through the 2021-22 academic year.
The Archdiocese made the announcement official Friday.
“We are very excited to announce to you that after a series of consultations and with the strong outpouring of support from the Belle Chasse community, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Belle Chasse, will remain open for the upcoming 2021-22 school year.”
According to the Louisiana Department of Education, Our Lady of Perpetual Help had 150 students attending for the 2020-21 school year, down nearly 21% from its enrollment of 189 during the 2018-19 school year.
The New Orleans Advocate | Times Picayune said the school originally cited the decline in enrollment and a “half-million-dollar deficit” in announcing its original decision to close in early March.
Friday’s announcement, signed by the school’s pastor, the Rev. Kyle Dave and Dr. RaeNell Houston, the superintendent of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese, said that fundraising efforts over the next year would be key, as would enrollment. It cited a wish that families currently at the school would remain and that hopefully the enthusiasm shown by the Belle Chasse community, would draw more students to the school.
The past decade has been challenging for Catholic Schools as declining enrollment at several schools has been a problem, resulting in some closures and consolidations, especially in the New Orleans area and especially in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
