Published: June 24, 2009 11:57 pm      

EDUCATION: Mount Carmel may close and merge with Prince of Peace

Students and staff at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School are heading into the summer recess this week not knowing whether classes will resume in the fall.

Board members on the Catholic Academy of Niagara Falls are considering a school reconfiguration and Greater Niagara Newspapers has learned the changes would involve closing down Mount Carmel School and merging it with Prince of Peace, the city’s only other Catholic elementary school.

Mount Carmel Principal Jeannine Fortunate referred all questions to the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. Diocese spokesman Kevin Keenan said Wednesday no announcement to close the school has been made and stressed that nothing has been approved by the diocese.

“There’s some discussions going on right now among board members about the Catholic school configuration, I can’t get any more specific at this time,” Keenan said. “The board has been discussing this since last September.”

However, a source who has a relative working at Prince of Peace said staff at that school attended a meeting last week and were told they all had to reapply for their jobs because the two schools are merging. Prince of Peace Principal Chris Hope is leaving the school to become principal of a Catholic elementary school in Orchard Park, Keenan confirmed.

A meeting to announce Mount Carmel’s closing was expected for Wednesday afternoon but canceled, according to the source, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Keenan denied the Diocese had scheduled any such meeting.

“Regardless of what’s been communicated, Bishop Kmiec has not signed off on any decision regarding the reconfiguration of these schools,” Keenan said.

The Catholic Academy of Niagara Falls oversees operations at Mount Carmel, Prince of Peace and St. Dominic Savio Middle School.

Located at 2499 Independence Ave., Mount Carmel has been open for more than 50 years, most recently enrolling students pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It advertises itself on its Web site as “an integral part of the parish community and neighborhood.”

Dwindling enrollment overall in Catholic education has led to the closure of several parochial schools over the past decade.

Contact reporter Rick Forgioneat 282-2311, ext. 2257.