Archdiocese keeps St. Joseph School open

WAPAKONETA - Joyce Johnson's first-grade pupils burst into cheers Thursday morning. Their teacher showed just as much excitement over the news that St. Joseph Catholic School will remain open next year.

"I'm ecstatic," Johnson said. "It is a beautiful place to be and I just want it to continue. I've been here 28 years and I just love the place."

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati ruled the school won't close, ending months of worry that this would be the school's last year. School staff sent letters home of the news with pupils, and Principal Ron Fahncke announced to staff and pupils Thursday morning.

"Everyone's very excited," he said. "There were lots of high-fives and e-mails saying, ‘Congratulations, our prayers have been answered.'"

St. Joseph Catholic Church requested earlier in the year that the archdiocese close the school. An archdiocese-appointed study committee looked at the school's revenue and expenditures to determine its fate before recommending to the archbishop that it remain open.

The immediate issue before the committee was next school year, archdiocese spokesman Dan Andriacco said.

"Things are reassessed every year at every school," he said.

The committee will help school officials through next school year, Andriacco said.

The school suffers from declining enrollment, dropping by more than 100 in the last five years. It continued to enroll families despite not knowing the school's future with a good response, Fahncke said. A campaign registration rally will come soon.

School families and staff prayed for the school during a candlelight vigil last September. Parent Tammy DeLong, who helped organize the vigil, heard the good news from a relative at the school.

"I was just screaming and jumping up and down." she said. "Everybody just had a positive attitude and we're just happy to hear it's going to be open."

DeLong's two daughters knew the school could close and were worried, Mom said.

"My youngest said, ‘I'm upset that I have to pray to myself at school. At St. Joe's I get to pray out loud,'" she said.

St. Joseph Catholic School has been in existence since the 1850s. The current building off state Route 501 was built in 1959 as a high school. The high school closed in 1974 and the elementary school moved in.