St. John the Baptist School in Kalihi is closing after 60 years, with projected enrollment plummeting after parents lost jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, worsening the Catholic school’s already-shaky finances.

Over the past five years, enrollment had already fallen to “dangerously low levels” at the small school, with 107 students in preschool through eighth grade this academic year, according to Parish Administrator Diego Alejandro Restrepol. That’s a 40% drop over five years, according to data kept by the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools. And projections for this fall were even bleaker.

“Our problem was the coronavirus pandemic because for this coming year we only have about 55 students interested in coming back to the school,” Restrepol said in an interview. “We cannot work it. After planning the budget I find a deficit of $100,000 and it’s too much. Our financial situation was terrible but worsened a lot with this pandemic.”

Tuition was relatively low, at $6,290 annually, but many families have two or three children, he noted, putting the total price out of reach when family budgets are battered.

The school is the third Catholic school to close its doors in three years in Hawaii. Last May, Saint Francis School in Manoa shut down after nearly a century, saddled with debt. The previous May, St. Anthony School in Kalihi closed up shop after enrollment dwindled to 76 students. Cathedral Catholic Academy in Nuuanu shut down in 2016.

But one historic Catholic school just got a reprieve. In Hilo, 151-year-old St. Joseph School came to the brink of closing at the end of this school year but has raised enough money to keep going.

St. Joseph is the only Catholic school on the island of Hawaii, with 283 students in preschool through 12th grade. Last month it announced that it needed to raise $500,000 quickly or it would shut down, facing substantial debt. The community rallied to save it.

Principal Michael Pa‘ekukui announced June 5 that the school was nearing its goal of $500,000 in donations and pledges and had received permission to continue. Last week, elated students, alumni and staff lined the street in front of St. Joseph to wave signs of thanks.

“It gives me great joy to announce to you that our pastor, Father Poli Ty has given permission for St. Joseph School to move forward!’ Pa‘ekukui wrote in a message posted on the school’s website. “We look forward to the 2020-2021 school year!”

”We believe that we offer a quality, Catholic, educational plan and will be working closely with the School Board in finalizing a long-range strategic plan that will include developing a foundation and partnerships so St. Joseph School can continue to be a strong educational institution in Hilo for many years to come,” he wrote.

At St. John the Baptist parish, Restrepol said the decision to close the school on June 30 was made after consulting with the Parish Financial Council as well as the Office of Hawaii Catholic Schools. Hawaii’s parish-based schools operate their own finances separately, with guidance from the Hawaii Catholic School office and the Diocese of Honolulu.

“It was a hard decision because as a parish all of us loved the school so much,” Restrepol said. “For us it is a big loss to close the school. In this moment it is the best option we have.”

Catholic Schools Superintendent Michael Rockers said administrators are helping families and staff figure out their next steps.

“At St. John the Baptist School, we are now focused on supporting our students, parents and employees so they can transition to their next school, next position effectively,” Rockers said.