Kalihi’s Saint John the Baptist School to close after 60 years
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - After 60 years in Kalihi, Saint John the Baptist School is closing.
In a letter to its school community earlier this month, administrators said the pandemic “significantly worsened” its already troublesome financial situation.
The main reasons included a declining enrollment and increased operational costs.
“This has been a most difficult decision, reached after extensive consideration and a heavy heart. I ask you to pray for me and the St. John the Baptist community, so that we may overcome our disappointment and sadness," Parish Administrator Diego Alejandro Restrepol said in the letter.
“I pray for all our students and their families to find another school to enrich their faith and learning experiences, and that our school staff may find just work somewhere else,” he added.
The school will end operations on June 30.
It’s been a rough time for private catholic schools around the state. Community support recently saved St. Joseph’s School in Hilo, which also faced the threat of shutting down.
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