NORWOOD PARK — St. Thecla Catholic School principal Catherine DeFrancesca will not return to school when classes restart in January, according to a letter sent to parents by the parish pastor.
"We appreciate the time and commitment Ms. DeFrancesca gave to our students, faculty and families," the Rev. Gene Dyer wrote Wednesday.
The note did not explain the circumstances behind her sudden departure.
Dyer is "actively working with the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Catholic Schools to identify and hire a new principal who will lead the school," he continued. "And we will keep you updated on our principal search."
Some parents were alarmed at what they considered a vague and abrupt notice sent just a week before students are scheduled to come back from vacation, according to the mother of one student, who asked to remain anonymous.
"For her to be gone in the middle of break is really odd," she said.
DeFrancesca was six months into her tenure as principal when the note was sent, the parent said. The school's previous principal, Dan Gargano, announced his resignation in March.
With 231 students, St. Thecla, 6323 N. Newcastle Ave., began the school year with the fourth-lowest enrollment of 14 Catholic schools on the Northwest Side, a DNAinfo analysis found. But the school's enrollment shot up more than 20 percent from the 2015-16 school year, which it began with 191 students.
An administrator at St. Thecla declined to comment on the announcement.
A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Chicago did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
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