Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Lehighton is closing.

Low enrollment and financial challenges are the reason, said Rev. Michael Ahrensfield, pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul Church, the parish which sponsors the school.Rev. Ahrensfield said the decision to close the school was made following a nine-month study.The school has been in existence since 1886.In a letter to parents sent home with students Friday and mailed for delivery today, Rev. Ahrensfield said Ss. Peter and Paul students will be eligible for $1,500 grants to defray tuition at other Catholic schools in the Diocese of Allentown next school year.Enrollment at Ss. Peter and Paul has been below 100 for 10 straight years and stands at 86 this year. Only 71 students had registered for next year.The school has been in deficit spending for several years. To fully support the school, the parish contributed what it said in a news release was "above and beyond the parish subsidy figure that had been budgeted and has been drawing from parish savings, which are almost exhausted." Since 2010, the parish has contributed more than $650,000 in school subsidy to Ss. Peter & Paul School.That is above ordinary parish income, the Diocese said. During that period, the parish used more than $350,000 of parish savings to cover school shortfalls.Ahrensfield announced a study of the school in October. A committee, consisting of the pastor, the principal, the finance manager, the school board president, a school parent, two parish leaders and diocesan representatives, has been meeting regularly to review the challenges facing the school.Two key benchmarks were set as the study continued, enrollment for the 2014-15 school year would need to be 97 students and money would have to be raised to cover the school operating deficit for this school year.Additional fundraising events were held and additional funds were raised. The pastor wrote in the letter, "Some progress was made and I am deeply grateful for all that has been done by the Ss. Peter and Paul School family. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, a solution that sufficiently addressed the enrollment and financial challenges at the school could not be found."Ahrensfield also wrote, "I remain committed to Catholic education and will continue to subsidize any parishioner of Ss. Peter and Paul Parish that is enrolled in a Catholic school education (K-8) in the Diocese of Allentown. It is also important to note that students from SS. Peter and Paul School will be able to register at any of the other Catholic schools in the Diocese of Allentown. There will continue to be opportunities for a Catholic school education for the children who have been attending our school."Included with the letter to parents was a list of all Catholic elementary schools in Carbon County. The principals of those schools will be advised of the situation at Ss. Peter and Paul and will provide additional information upon request to Peter and Paul parents about their schools. There was also information on the $1,500 Catholic Education Continuation Grant for which Peter and Paul students are now eligible.The pastor's recommendation was reviewed by the Diocesan Pastoral Council, the Diocesan Council of Priests; the Bishop's Commission on Catholic Schools and the Diocesan Board of Education and was accepted by Diocese of Allentown Bishop John Barres.Linda Vella, who has taught first grade at Ss. Peter and Paul School, will remember the school and the students with a fondness that has built for 17 years."I thought they had it made and then this all happened," said Vella. "It's sad. The school had been open for 128 years. It was a good school; good for the students and the community."Vella said that a lot of good has come out of the school."We had students who have gone on to be teachers, physician assistants and pillars of the community," she said. "We've even had a student go on to win a Pulitzer for being a professional journalist."Vella said the staff and parents worked hard to raise funds for the school because for the school to remain open, "we were told it needed to be self-sustaining.""Those parents and staff poured their hearts into the school. This is sad, not only for the students, but for the community," said Vella.Vella said that even before any of the issue of closing had come up, she had planned to retire after the school year."I have 42 years in Catholic education," she said. "All I can say is, the parents and staff gave it their best shot.""Over the past few years, there has been a concern about the possible closing of Sts Peter and Paul School in Lehighton," wrote David Malsch, a parent. "It appears to me that this situation has reached a much greater level of concern for the faculty and families of the school. I have concerns that neither the diocese nor the local parish are committed to keeping this school open. I believe their lack of transparency will only allow the church leadership to close this school without making every effort to helping this school succeed.""SSPP School does not just provide an education," he noted. "Schools like SSPP contribute greatly to the local community."He wrote that the school provides an important source of income for the faculty and support staff - income that is spent locally."The school was an alternative to parents whose child may have special learning or social needs that cannot be met by the public school system," he added.