Dear parishioners,

St. Patrick Parish will no longer offer Catholic education in Elkhorn beginning next school year. As a result of this decision, we strongly encourage our current students to keep Catholic education a priority and consider St. Andrew School in Delavan, or any of the other Catholic schools in the area.  St. Patrick Parish will always provide support to our parishioners who choose Catholic education in the future. Catholic education will always be a priority to St. Patrick Parish and we are very grateful to all the parents and parishioners who have continued to support our school and its mission for the last 55 years.

It has been a very difficult and agonizing decision. I want you to know that my first concern has always been the good of the children. I want to let you know that the main reason that has driven me to make this heartbreaking decision has been the decreasing amount of students we serve. We currently have 58 students and we were projecting 54 for next year, involving less than 42 families. I strongly believe we could not have continued having our own school in Elkhorn with these numbers, and without the support from young families who were not sending their children to our school. I had a long meeting with the Archbishop last Friday, and after going back and forth with different ideas and possibilities, he accepted my recommendation that it was more effective to offer Catholic education to our students at another Catholic school in the area.

After two years at St. Patrick’s, I am very sad and I cannot even begin to imagine how many of you will feel after 55 years of support and commitment to the school. It was especially heartbreaking for me when the news was announced to our students on Tuesday. This decision is not a best case scenario for us. We really enjoyed having our very own school in Elkhorn.  However, we will still have a school, possibly more than one, depending on where our students choose to continue their Catholic education. Please, join me as we continue to pray for those who are directly affected by this change.