Families stunned by closure of Harlem Catholic school

HARLEM, New York (WABC) -- Some families are stunned after Catholic leadership announced the closure of St. Mark the Evangelist School on West 138th Street in Harlem.

St. Mark opened in 1912 with the goal of welcoming Black and Indigenous communities in with Catholic tradition and instruction.

For more than a century, the school did just that.

Three generations and fifteen members of Marcus Wilson's family have attended this historic school, but his son in pre-K will no longer continue the tradition.

"I've grown and raised my child in Harlem. The principal that is here now is actually my fifth grade teacher. I definitely love the school," Wilson reacted.

Parents complain the Archdiocese of New York never gave them a specific reason for the school's closure. Nor were they given a chance to fight for the beloved school.

Some parents suspect the archdiocese plans to rent the facility to a charter school.

"It's almost hypocritical and contradictory. You're supposed to be inviting the community in, not shutting a community out," said parent Arnyce Foster-Hernandez. "I would like Cardinal Dolan to come out into the community and not set policy from behind a desk."

Last year, enrollment increased when St. Mark absorbed students from another shuttered Catholic school. Now the archdiocese says that students who want to continue with a Catholic education can be placed in another Catholic school - a longer commute for some.

"Together, we remain committed to our shared mission and to supporting one another in faith," Catholic Schools of New York said in response to the closure.

Tomorrow is the last day of school for St. Mark the Evangelist.

Parents, students, and alumni gathered in front of the school Tuesday evening for a bittersweet farewell.

"I've traveled to Ghana to study African dance. I've traveled to Oxford to study Shakespeare. If it wasn't for the foundation that I got here, I don't think I would have made the entry ways and pathways I did," said school alum Chante Lewis.

"It just makes me feel sad," said Nyleya Slater, a 6th grader. "I wish I could finish because I really love this family."