(COLORADO SPRINGS) — One of the few Catholic schools in Colorado Springs is shutting its doors at the end of the 2024-2025 school year due to various findings that are “very real” and “very difficult.”

Divine Redeemer Catholic School announced in December 2024 that it would be closing at the end of the academic year in May 2025.

“I know this is a tremendous shock and very difficult news,” according to the letter Reverend Jason Keas wrote in December. “I am sorry to present this news to our teachers, staff, and most especially our children. You have all been key to the great community that Divine Redeemer has been for many years. I imagine many of our Divine Redeemer alumni will be heartbroken as well.”

The statement further explained that the school was presented with findings that showed the school would be around $400,000 behind budget at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. The school also mentioned declining enrollment, and Director of Communications for the Diocese of Colorado Springs, Veronica Ambuul, confirmed the budget shortfall was due to low enrollment.

Ambuul said the school’s enrollment had dropped from a peak of about 300 students to about 100. The school served students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. In a letter, Superintendent Sheila Whalen shared in December, the peak of 300 students was two decades ago.

“Extensive demographic studies have shown that the main reason for the decline is simply that families with young children live in other areas of the city now,” Ambuul told FOX21 News.

According to Ambuul, 80% of current Divine Redeemer students have enrolled in another Catholic school in the diocese.

Ambuul further explained that the Office of Catholic Schools is “assisting families in any way they can.” When asked about the teacher contracts, Ambuul said she couldn’t comment on those since she did not know the details.

The school has prepared for the closure and has scheduled a ‘last day’ celebration on May 22.