Pasadena parish cites pandemic in decision to close preschool

Seven months after declining enrollment led St. Jane Frances School in Pasadena to transition from a pre-K3 through grade 8 school to an early learning center serving 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds, it has announced that ongoing financial issues related to the coronavirus pandemic will close the preschool at the end of the current academic year.

Monsignor Carl Cummings, pastor of the parish in eastern Anne Arundel County, informed the school community of the news in a Feb. 22 letter.

“At the conclusion of the 2019-20 school year, we closed our PK-3-eighth grade school and transitioned to an … early learning center, with the hope of gradually rebuilding our school,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, the enrollment for the current school year and the projected enrollment for the next school year is not sufficient to meet our expenses.”

Later in the letter, Monsignor Cummings wrote, “The daily operating costs and the COVID-19 pandemic have made the sustainability of our preschool program impossible, without going further into debt and jeopardizing our ability to meet the needs of our parish.”

He cited a $150,000 deficit incurred during the current school year.

“The decline in enrollment has caused significant strains for the parish,” Monsignor Cummings wrote. “Over the past two years, St. Jane Frances School has run a deficit of $250,000. This year, we have incurred a $150,000 deficit through December of 2020 alone, despite the $75,000 subsidy from the church.”

The letter included a pledge to help the families of existing families find new preschools for their children.

“We understand this news is upsetting to our families who have invested so much into St. Jane Frances Preschool and we wish to be present for you during this time of transition. Rest assured, every effort will be made to assist your family to ensure a smooth transition into a new preschool for the 2021-2022 academic year,” Monsignor Cummings said. 

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