Two Catholic schools in south Sacramento will close in June 2026 due to declining enrollment, consolidating into a new regional campus at St. Robert School.
SACRAMENTO, Calif — Two Catholic schools in south Sacramento will close at the end of the current academic year and consolidate into a single regional campus, a decision Diocese of Sacramento officials said is driven by declining enrollment but one that parents and students say has left them shocked and uncertain about the future.
St. Charles Borromeo School and St. Patrick Academy will close at the end of the academic year in June 2026, Bishop Jaime Soto said in a message to families.
A new regional Catholic school will operate at the existing St. Robert School campus beginning in August 2026.
“I have decided to close the schools at St. Charles Borromeo and St. Patrick Academy at the end of this academic year,” Soto said. “A new regional Catholic school will continue at the current St. Robert School campus, beginning next school year.”
Soto said the decision followed prayer and consultation and cited broader enrollment challenges facing schools nationwide.
“All schools, public and private, are facing declining enrollment, and Catholic education is not immune to these demographic shifts,” he said.
For many families, the announcement came suddenly. Parents said they learned of the closures through an email and a video message from the diocese, leaving little time to process the decision.
“I was really shocked,” said Andrea Casillas-Chavez, an alum of St. Charles Borromeo School whose family has children enrolled. “My sister called me, almost crying, with my goddaughter crying in the background. It’s been generations for our family. We’ve been here since the 1980s, and now there are no clear answers about what comes next.”
Casillas-Chavez said her family made sacrifices to keep children in Catholic education and worries families now face uncertainty without information about tuition or enrollment at the new regional school.
“They tell us it depends on how many students enroll, and that will determine tuition,” she said. “For families that are struggling, there are no answers right now.”
Students said the closures mean more than a campus change. Several described losing a community they expected to stay part of through graduation.
“Why are you doing this to us?” one student said. “We’re just young. We’re just kids. We don’t deserve to have this.”
Another student said the news made them cry because of family ties to the school.
“This is our school, and we really love this school,” the student said. “My mom went here when she was little, and I just want to be the same and graduate.”
Following the announcement, the diocese held an informational meeting for parents on Wednesday night. Parents reported feeling frustrated and without clear guidance.
“I tried to ask questions to the board, but you have over 120 people in a gym trying to ask questions,” said Walter Sarabia, a parent at St. Patrick Academy. “They give us an hour, and when six o’clock hit, they were sure enough to get out and leave us all hanging dry.”
Sarabia said parents are worried about class sizes, staffing and whether students will be accepted into other Catholic schools.
“What’s going to happen with our kids? What’s going to happen with our future?” he said.
Another parent, Yuri Ramirez-Villanueva, said diocesan leadership was not present to address concerns directly.
“The people who made the decision to close the school did not show face, did not come here to give us the answer,” Ramirez-Villanueva said. Later, she said the decision had affected her trust in church leadership. “The diocese has turned its back on us, and I’m just trying to figure out if I want to keep supporting the people who did that.”
Soto acknowledged the emotional toll of the decision in his message to families.
“Change is never easy, especially when it touches our children,” he said. “But as people of faith, we trust that God walks with us even in moments of uncertainty.”
The Diocese of Sacramento said more details about the new regional school will be shared during informational meetings for parents, though officials said those meetings are closed to the press. Another parent meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening at St. Patrick Academy.
The diocese did not respond to questions about tuition rates, enrollment capacity, class sizes, or the selection of the St. Robert campus for consolidation.
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