St. Patrick Catholic school in Springfield to close in 2026
St. Patrick Catholic School announced it will close after 116 years, leaving Springfield families to find new Catholic classrooms and lean on a scholarship plan.
Families connected to St. Patrick Catholic School in Springfield now face the task of finding new classrooms for next year, as the school at 1800 South Grand Avenue East announced it will close at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year. About 15 employees were also expected to be affected, and school leaders said an ongoing scholarship program will help students continue their Catholic education at other Springfield schools, including Little Flower School.
The school, founded in 1910, said the closure followed a review of enrollment trends and long-term financial sustainability challenges. Leaders pointed to rising operational costs, the loss of COVID-19-era grants and the end of the state’s Invest in Kids Act tax-credit scholarship program as pressure points that made the school harder to keep open. Board president Erik Woehrmann said the decision was not a snap decision and came after budget analyses and other attempts to keep the school viable.
The impact reaches beyond the building itself. St. Patrick has said it serves many low-income families and a majority non-Catholic Black and biracial student population, which has made the school a familiar part of Springfield Catholic Schools and a landing place for families who wanted a faith-based option. Bishop Thomas Paprocki said he was saddened by the closure and said other Springfield Catholic schools were ready to welcome St. Patrick families.
School leaders said the mission would continue through scholarships meant to keep students in Catholic education in Springfield. The school also said its biggest fundraiser, the Blarney Bash, is being rescheduled to support that effort. St. Patrick said it has several alumni currently at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, underscoring the way its students have long moved through Springfield’s Catholic school network.
A farewell open house in May drew former students, teachers and administrators for one last visit before the campus closes. For families, the coming months will determine whether scholarship aid, open seats and new school arrangements can absorb the loss of an institution that has served Springfield for 116 years.
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