St. Simon the Apostle School will close its doors following the 2024-25 school year due to declining enrollment.
Down from previous years, the school’s current enrollment sits at approximately 123 students. This equates to roughly 13 or 14 students per grade as the school serves kindergarten through eighth grade.
The projected enrollment for next school year saw a sharp decrease, with only 70 students expected to attend the Green Park school. There were fewer than 30 students enrolled in grades first through fifth, with one grade level receiving only one enrollment and another grade level receiving only three.
The Simon Says Early Childhood Center – a year-round education program for children ages six weeks through five years old – is expected to remain open.
“While providing Catholic Education in St. Louis County for 65 years, St. Simon School has faced ongoing challenges due to declining enrollment,” St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski stated in a news release. “This ongoing trend means that continuing to provide quality education at St. Simon School would require financial support that would negatively impact the parish’s finances and impede other crucial ministries.”
Rozanski went on to say that the Archdiocese of St. Louis will provide placement assistance to St. Simon School faculty and staff, as well as enrollment assistance to families wishing to continue Catholic education for their children at different elementary schools.
Students currently enrolled at St. Simon the Apostle School are from all over the area, including south St. Louis County, St. Louis city, Fenton, Arnold and Imperial.
“The parishioners of St. Simon can indeed be proud of the long history of educating children in the faith. I am profoundly grateful to them, to all the administrators, teachers and staff who share their gifts to help raise children in our Catholic faith, and to the parents who make a commitment to Catholic education,” Rozanski stated. “Please join me in keeping all affected by these changes in our prayers.”
