Free Republic

COHOES -- Residents today will hear a Mass marking the end of Catholic schools in the city. The service will start at 11 a.m. at Cohoes Catholic School behind Holy Trinity Church. Principal Jane Kromm said more than 250 people called ahead and planned to attend the Mass and a reception afterward in the school's gymnasium. Cohoes Catholic School is closing at the end of the school year. With its closure comes the end of a history of Catholic schools in the riverfront city. At one time, there were eight Catholic schools in Cohoes with a combined enrollment of 1,000...

After more than 70 years, Saint Mary's School in Rensselaer no longer has enough students to stay open. Only 91 students registered for the 2004-2005 school year. Sister Mary Jane Herb said, "If one or two of the classes were low, we'd probably make the decision to continue the school. But with all but one of the classes under 10 students, it makes it academically not a good learning environment." Sister Herb said those 91 registered students, along with 15 faculty members from Saint Mary's, now have to look for somewhere else to go next year. "Many people were shocked...