Faced with the fallout of a declining school enrollment and an escalating deficit, officials of St. Lawrence School in North Highlands have announced it will be closing at the end of this school year.

The decision was discussed at a parents meeting Dec. 12. The school currently has 74 students in a facility designed for an enrollment of 300.

Father Joesph Ternullo, pastor of St. Lawrence Parish, said that making the school closure announcement was one of the most painful and difficult decisions he has had to make as a pastor.

“It is very painful for me to walk through this grief process with everyone involved. It breaks my heart,” Father Ternullo said. “The kids are very special to me, the teachers do an outstanding job, and I admire the tremendous dedication of our parents.”

Among the factors leading to the decision to close St. Lawrence School on June 7, Father Ternullo said, are a demographic shift of a neighborhood which has an increasingly elderly population, where the San Juan Unified School District is being forced to close and consolidate schools, and the closure of the former McClellan Air Force Base has further depleted a declining population base.

One measure taken to address a funding deficit neither the school nor parish could continue to support was the decision for St. Lawrence to consolidate eight grades into four classes, implemented in the fall of 2005.

Meetings were held with the Catholic School Department, St. Lawrence’s Catholic School Advisory Commission, and the National Catholic School Management team.

Unfortunately all efforts, including promoting St. Lawrence School in neighboring parishes without schools and larger populations, such as St. Clare Parish in Roseville, were not enough to alter the financial bottom line, Father Ternullo said.

“Generally, I’ve found people to be understanding,” he said. “Parents are continuing to make the school year a true learning experience for their children in the fine tradition of St. Lawrence.”

School parent Henry Nanjo said that the principal, Ursuline Sister Roberta Goebel, has provided strong leadership to ensure a high quality of education continues during a stressful time.

“She’s been fantastic in what she has been able to accomplish,” said Nanjo, who explained that Sister Goebel had obtained a grant to fund a computer lab, doing much with limited resources. “There has been a real effort to maintain a strong sense of community at St. Lawrence School.”

Nanjo, whose daughter Christina is a fifth grader at St. Lawrence, views closure of the school “an unfortunate situation.”

“The kids really care about each other. It would have been nice to grow that,” he said.

Teresa Rice, president of the school’s parent club, who currently has one child attending the school, expressed her reaction to closure in an e-mail statement to The Herald.

“It is a very sad and emotional time for those of us who have been part of the St. Lawrence community. Our children are devastated,” she said.

St. Lawrence students will be given priority placement in other Catholic schools for families desiring to have their children continue attending Catholic school.

“My eyes are set on the children and families making a smooth transition,” Sister Goebel said. “Catholic school principals in the surrounding area have been very welcoming in facilitating our students enrolling in their schools.”

She added that Dom Puglisi, superintendent of Catholic schools, has been working to find jobs for the school’s four full-time teachers and staff.

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