Parents Fear West Rogers Park Catholic School On Verge Of Closing
CHICAGO (CBS) -- St. Margaret Mary on North Oakley first opened in 1921, but now some in West Rogers Park fear that the beloved Catholic school is closing.
CBS 2's Jim Williams has more on what's behind the fear.
Christine Clark calls her children's school is a haven.
"I know when I drop off my children in the morning everyone knows their name," Clark said. "Everyone's going to take care of them. I don't have to worry about them at all."
St. Margaret Mary, for nearly a century, has been an anchor in West Rogers Park for Catholic and non-Catholic families alike.
Julie Sipchen's three daughters are there.
"School means everything to the family," she said. "This school, this community."
Now parents are hearing the St Margaret Mary School may be shut down because of declining enrollment.
"We're very hopeful that the archdiocese will make the best decision to continue educating students on this campus," Sipchen said.
In a statement, Chicago Archdiocese spokeswoman Susan Burritt told us, "Strategic planning for all of our schools is always ongoing. St. Margaret Mary School is part of an ongoing planning process on the North Side for several years and no final decision has been made."
Words that don't comfort Christine Clark, whose daughter's public school was closed three years ago.
"We actually looked at house listings in the suburbs last night," Clark said.
Parents are planning to meet at the school Thursday night.
