Great Falls Catholic school faces closure after 60 years

GREAT FALLS, Mont. — Families and teachers at Saint Patrick’s Academy East said the school is closing after 60 years because of financial hardship.

The school, formerly known as Holy Spirit Catholic School, has served students, faculty and staff for generations in Great Falls. Parents said the news came in a letter sent in March.

"We were sent a letter letting us know that due to financial hardships that we would be closing the school down," said Amy Loncki.

Teachers said the announcement left them worried about what comes next.

"We’ve all grown very close together and we’ve become a family in our own right and the fact that not only we have to find jobs somewhere else, but we have to leave each other in order to do that," said Larry Habermas, Saint Patrick’s Academy East teacher.

Amy Loncki, a parent at Saint Patrick’s Academy East, said families learned more during a March 25 meeting. She said a finance council member told families the school was about $400,000 short of what it needed to keep operating.

Loncki said families had not been told about the school’s financial problems before that meeting. She said parents, teachers, faculty and staff worked together to find ways to try to save the school.

She said any marketing or fundraiser needed approval from the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings.

"We reached out to the diocese for loans or financial help and we’ve been denied. We tried to do some fundraising efforts, but I was informed that at this time the bishop is not willing to reconsider his decision," said Amy Loncki.

Last month, Holy Spirit Parish received a letter from Bishop Jeffrey Fleming of the Diocese of Great Falls and Billings confirming Saint Patrick’s Academy East would close at the end of the school year.

The closure affects 141 students and numerous teachers who now need to find new schools or new jobs.

"It’s going to hurt a lot of our Catholic kids to be able to have that schooling and that foundation," said Loncki.

"There’s just a large level of uncertainty facing the next school year about what we’re going to do. Are we going to be able to teach? Are there going to be positions open for us?" said Habermas.

NonStop Local went to the diocese office to ask whether anything had been done to keep the school open. And we did get in contact with Father Doug Krings for a statement and Krings said he had nothing to add at this time.

For now, parents and teachers said they still hoped someone could help the school.