Northwest suburban Catholic school will stay open

A northwest suburban Catholic school was able to stave off closing at at the end of the school year through successful fundraising and enrollment efforts, the Archdiocese of Chicago said Thursday night.

St. Alphonsus Liguori School in Prospect Heights reached its enrollment target of 135 students — exceeding it by one — and met their fundraising goal of $400,000 by Monday’s deadline, according to Anne Maselli, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

“The Archdiocese commends the parish leadership, parishioners, school community and other supporters for their wonderful and passionate efforts to keep the school open,” according to an archdiocese news release.

But Maselli confirmed Thursday evening that the following Catholic schools are still slated to close at the end of the school year because of low enrollment and financial straits: St. Peter, an elementary school in far northwest suburban Antioch; Seton Academy, a co-ed high school in South Holland; St. Edmund, an elementary school in Oak Park; and St. Agatha Catholic Academy, which offers early childhood programming in the Lawndale neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side.