CHELSEA — A 114-year-old Catholic nursery school abruptly announced plans to close due to financial issues, leaving parents worried that they will not have enough time to find a new program for their kids for next fall.
Nazareth Nursery Montessori School, which serves 55 children ages 2 to 5, is closing its doors in August because the Syracuse-based owners, Sisters of St. Francis, can no longer afford to keep it running.
Parents just learned of the closure on Dec. 8 and are concerned they won't have enough time to research other schools and send out applications for next fall.
“Six months is insufficient,” said Susie Mogavero, mother of a 2-year-old student at Nazareth. “We asked for an extension twice, but we were denied each time."
But Rochelle Cassella, a spokeswoman for the school, said closure, first reported by the Daily News, was the only option.
The antiquated building at 216 W. 15th St. needs $2 million in upgrades to fix broken beams and gas leaks, and the Sisters of St. Francis do not have to money for a renovation, she said.
“The school doesn’t take care of itself financially,” Cassella said of Nazareth Nursery, which charges $8,650 in tuition. “It’s subsidized by the Sisters of St. Francis and they were no longer in the position to do that.”
The Sisters intend to eventually sell the building, although it’s not on the market yet. All proceeds of the sale will go into a fund that the Sisters will use for their charitable works, Cassella said.
Sisters of St. Francis worked with the Archdiocese of New York to identify Catholic schools in the city that would be able to accept students from Nazareth next year, the school wrote in a Jan. 20 letter to parents.
“I understand the parents are very upset,” Cassella said. “[Management] has done a great deal to find them alternatives and keep them advised about what’s going on. The [alternative] schools have indicated that they would be able to accommodate students from Nazareth.”
Those alternative schools are:
► St. Brigid, 185 E. 7th St. near Avenue B
Offers: Full-day program for children ages 3 and 4, and after-school until 6 p.m.
Tuition: $6,500 for one child, $11,050 for two and $13,550 for three or more children. Universal pre-K for 4-year-olds is free.
► Immaculate Conception School, 419 E. 13th St. near First Avenue
Offers: Full-day pre-K runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and after-school until 6 p.m.
Pre-K tuition: $5,625
Kindergarten tuition: $5,410
► Our Lady of Pompeii, 240 Bleecker St. near Leroy Street
Offers: Full-day pre-K for ages 3 and 4, with after-school until 5:30 p.m.
Tuition: $7,985
► Guardian Angel, 193 Tenth Ave. near West 22nd Street
Offers: Full-day pre-K from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with after-school from 3 to 6 p.m.
Tuition: $4,095 for one child, $6,195 for two children and $6,983 for three.
