A decision to close Sacred Heart Catholic School in Williams Lake by the end of June 2025 hangs in the balance as efforts are being made to keep it open and come up with a plan to make the school financially sustainable.
On Jan. 14, 2025, staff, students, families and parishioners at Sacred Heart parish learned the Catholic Independent Schools Kamloops Diocese (CISKD) had decided to close the school because of continued budget deficits that have eaten up the school's savings.
Father Paul Simms, the pastor at Sacred Heart Church, said he had not anticipated there would be a deficit this year until he received the preliminary budget in October.
He also said he had wanted the announcement of the school’s closure to be made when it was so it would give families and staff time to make decisions for the next school year.
The news came as a shock to school staff and parents, the parish and the community of Williams Lake.
After a town hall meeting Wednesday, Jan. 15, at the school, a group of parents, parishioners and community members decided to see what could be done to stop the closure.
Around 70 people attended a meeting Monday, Jan. 20 in the school library and within 48 hours of that meeting, knowing this year's deficit is projected to be $170,000, around a quarter of a million dollars had been pledged, noted the school's Facebook page.
During a meeting with parishioners held Tuesday, Jan. 21, CISKD Supt. Christopher Yuen said he’d attended the Monday night meeting as well and would be presenting to the CISKD board later in the week.
Yuen followed up with a letter later Friday afternoon, Jan. 24 addressed to all parents, guardians, parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish, community members and key stakeholders of Sacred Heart Parish.
He also forwarded a copy to the Tribune.
“We have been blessed with an overwhelming outpouring of support from our parent community, parishioners, alumni, local businesses and generous organizations,” he said in the letter. “This remarkable support has come in the form of both one-time donations and pledges from individuals and organizations who deeply believe in the Catholic mission of SHCS.”
Describing the pledges as “nothing short of miraculous," he requested the pledges now need to be converted into donations.
"All funds collected will be held in Trust until such time as the board formally reverses its decision. (Should the decision remain to close, any donations will be refunded)," he noted.
He said the next update would be provided Jan. 29 and the board will meet on Feb. 6 to assess the progress.
As an independent school, Sacred Heart receives some funding from the provincial government which amounts to 50 per cent of the funding per student public schools receive. The school receives no additional government funding for capital or operational costs.
To help cover its costs the school charges tuition and does fundraising.
There are presently 95 students in the school.
Sacred Heart Catholic School was built in the early 1990s by a group of people from the parish in Williams Lake.
It started with Kindergarten and Grade One and then each year added another grade until it went to Grade 7.
Cecilia Schaubroeck, who arrived with her late husband Gilbert Schaubroeck to teach at the school when it had grown to Grade 4, said the school’s biggest enrollment was 126 and by then the school had Grade 7.
To try and lessen the deficit, the school has made cuts in recent years, trimming where it could, said Father Simms.
If the school were to close, the daycare would remain open and the parish would still be responsible for the building and property, he confirmed.
