Leaders at St. Agnes Catholic School told the school community on Monday that the institution will permanently close after this school year concludes.

In a statement from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, officials cited declining enrollment and “significant financial strain on both the school and parish” for the shuttering of the Catonsville school. It currently has 171 students enrolled.

“With enrollment down 25% over the past several years and with increasing needs and expenses, St. Agnes Catholic School cannot meet its operational expenses nor continue, in the long run, to meet the needs of our students and families,” the statement read.

The archdiocese said it has supported the school over the last several years and will continue to do so through these next few months.

Christian Kendzierski, spokesperson of the archdiocese, said parents and staff were informed Monday of the decision not to open for the 2025-2026 school year. In an emailed letter obtained by The Banner, Principal Megan Winter and Superintendent Donna Hargens state that staff are committed to working with families to assist with transitions and placements in other Catholic schools. Kendzierski said the archdiocese will give parents resources needed to apply to those nearby.

The archdiocese, he added, will allow families to pay the same amount of tuition money they paid at St. Agnes for the first year at a new archdiocese school, as well as provide $100 to pay for school uniforms.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore has been closing parishes in the city and county throughout the winter. St. Pius X in Towson recently held its last Christmas mass. However, St. Agnes’ shutdown is not part of a trend, according to Kendzierski, and there are no other Catholic school closures planned.

St. Maria Goretti Regional Catholic School in Hagerstown was the last school to close, he said. It graduated its last class in the spring of 2024.

This story has been corrected to clarify that the Archdiocese of Baltimore will allow families to pay the same amount of tuition they paid at St. Agnes for the first year in a new archdiocese school.

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