The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is closing a second K-8 school in as many weeks due to declining enrollment.
The diocese says St. John the Baptist Parish in Monaca, Beaver County, has asked permission to close its school because it had only 97 students enrolled in grades K-8. Last week the diocese announced it was closing Holy Child School in Bridgeville, which had only 82 pupils this year, and only 53 enrolled for the fall.
The diocesan website indicates the closings will leave it with 60 elementary schools, down from 85 three years ago when the diocese began urging a grassroots reorganization of its elementary schools which have been steadily losing enrollment.
The diocese still operates 11 high schools which have generally managed to maintain steady enrollments.
