Another school in the boundaries of Colorado Springs District 11 is closing.

It is not a traditional or charter school this time but a parochial school that’s having the same kind of issues that led to multiple building shutdowns over the past 17 years in D-11, the city’s oldest district.

Changing demographics in the downtown core and increased competition from choices in education have caused enrollment at Divine Redeemer Catholic School to drop precipitously this academic year, said Superintendent Sheila Whalen. She oversees eight Catholic preschools, elementary schools and middle schools in El Paso and Douglas counties for the Colorado Springs Diocese.

As a result, Divine Redeemer, a preschool through eighth grade institution at 901 N. Logan Ave., will close May 22, the last day of the academic year.

“There’s sadness, in particular for families that have more than one generation that have gone through the school,” Whalen said. “There’s also the recognition; parents could see the declining enrollment, and they recognize the burden that has put on the parish.”

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Annual operating budgets for all Catholic schools in the diocese are running deficits, she said, and the individual parishes to which each school is connected must fill the monetary gap between revenue from tuition and scholarships, and expenses.

Divine Redeemer Catholic School opened in 1956 with an enrollment of 273 and within two years added grades 7 and 8, nearly doubling to more than 500 students, according to historical records.

Two decades ago, enrollment topped 300 K-8 students; this academic year, only about 100 students are attending, Whalen said. That’s out of 1,459 students in all six schools. 

After reviewing the finances and facing a larger-than-expected deficit, leaders of Divine Redeemer Catholic Church decided to fold not only the nearly 70-year-old school but also the parish, which formed in 1950.

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The church building is slated to be repurposed into a diocesan-wide shrine, officials announced a few months ago, although details have not been finalized. It’s unclear whether the school’s classrooms, gymnasium and offices will become part of the new direction for the property, Whalen said.

“I know this is difficult for families, but the school has done so much wonderful work with families and students,” she said. “This is an opportunity to celebrate all the wonderful things that have happened at Divine Redeemer.”

When Colorado Springs resident Steve Tucker served as principal for five years in the mid-1980s, he said Divine Redeemer pioneered many new programs, including starting the preschool and the city’s first before- and after-school care program, which was licensed by the state.

Other innovations: a program with elective courses that addressed developmental needs for seventh- and eighth-graders, building a school library that focused on improving reading skills and creating a special-education program, initially in partnership with D-11.

“The district assigned a special-education specialist to our program, and later on they sent a bus for kids to go a different local school for special education sessions,” Tucker said. “The athletic program was always a big success,” with basketball, wrestling and track and field being popular.

Tucker remembers being a student himself, taught by Sister of Charity nuns who started the school. Along with fostering a Catholic identity and promoting children’s spirituality, Divine Redeemer emphasized character building, he said, an element that many public charter schools have adopted today.

“We had lots and lots of support from parents; I really believe school should be centered on the community, and that’s how we operated,” he said.

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Located in a neighborhood that bears the same name as the school and its companion church, Divine Redeemer also became known for providing not only robust grounding in the faith but also solid academics and charitable works.

“Divine Redeemer has always had such a strong reputation for providing an amazing education for students, and they were still doing a phenomenal job,” Whalen said.

Parents and grandparents agree.

Rolf Guenter’s youngest family, a granddaughter in the seventh grade, was very upset when she heard the news that was announced at the end of the first semester, her grandfather said.

“They really get a good education here,” Guenter said. “Some of the public schools aren’t doing well and are doing too much that doesn’t belong in schools.”

Guenter’s three oldest children and several grandchildren attended Divine Redeemer. The last granddaughter in the school will switch to public education next year, he said.

About 80% of Divine Redeemer families have committed to head to another Catholic school in the diocese in the fall, Whalen said, and some families are still discerning their decision.

Derek, a dad who declined to give his last name, said his children have attended Divine Redeemer for seven years and starting in August will go to St. Paul Catholic School to the southwest.

“It was a shock to us,” he said. “The community has been wonderful. They make everyone feel like you belong.”

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John, who also didn’t provide a surname, said in the three years his children have been at Divine Redeemer, they’ve come to know the school community as a family.

“It’s disappointing that they’re closing a school that’s been open for so many years,” he said. 

Despite the closure, Whalen said she remains optimistic about the future of Catholic education, as a few new schools have opened in the region in recent years.

“It’s really an issue of having our schools and parishes where our parents are,” Whalen said. “God is pointing us in a different direction, so we have to listen and follow.”