Dear Arthur and friends,

Please check this rumor out:  The pastor at St. Mary's told his CCD students the school will be closing in June. Declines in enrollment caused the school to close. St. Mary's which has been in existence before the Civil War, will be merged with Woodlawn Catholic Regional School.

Peace,

Jim

That would be sad...but the regional schools seem to be the trend for all education

Dear Arthur and friends,

Channel 12 reported in its Feb. 9 , 6 p.m. report that St. Mary's School in Pawtucket will definitely be closing in June.  The school, grades one through eight, carried about 147 students.  By the way, ST. Mary's existed as a school since 1855, a decade before the American Civil War.   Woodlawn Catholic Regional will be the new placement for interested students.

Another disturbing story on the decline of area Roman Catholic education.  The pastor of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus told his parishioners Saturday night the parish elementary school may not have enough students to carry operations into 2010.  Therefore, only five Catholic schools may exist next year in Pawtucket and Central Falls, whereas, in 1970, about 13 schools operated.

The primary reasons?  Lack of Catholic school nuns and rising Blue Cross costs and building operations drove tuition costs up from $100 per family in 1973 to $4,000 for one student in 2009.  

Incidentally, Arthur, the PNA website beat Channel 12 to the St. Mary's story by one hour.

We have the best reporters in town- our neighbors who are always in the thick of things and making the differences in the city and our neighborhoods.,

Thanks for the top notch reporting Jim and others