Towson Catholic’s announcement that it will not be reopening for the 2009-2010 school year was met with shock and protest. It seems that nobody expected that the school would be in such dire straits.

But perhaps it should not be so surprising.

The effects of the economy are being felt across the board, and private schools are not immune. It’s understandable that some families cannot foot the bill anymore. In the Schools Preview in our forthcoming August issue, several local private and parochial schools report lower enrollment.

What proved really disastrous for Towson Catholic was its lack of an endowment. In these strained economic times, many other schools are able to tap into their endowment to remain afloat. According to Sean Caine, of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Towson Catholic’s endowment would not have been able to keep the school running.

There will be an information session on Tuesday, July 14th at 7:00pm at the Towson Catholic auditorium, which will address the questions and concerns of family members, students, and the community.
—Jamie McCoy