The Diocese of Albany Catholic Schools is considering options for restructuring campuses in the face of financial challenges. 

At a meeting held Tuesday night, school leadership laid out options for restructuring All Saints Catholic Academy, Blessed Sacrament School and Mater Christi School.

Superintendent Christopher Bott said while no decisions have been made, there’s a more than $1 million operating deficit between the three schools due to declining enrollment and rising costs to educate.  

He said in an effort to keep Catholic education in Albany long-term, the three schools have been collaborating over the last year on possible solutions, and they presented two potential paths forward. 

Currently, all three schools serve students in prekindergarten through eighth grade. The first proposed option would restructure campuses to have two pre-K through fifth-grade schools, and one sixth-through-eighth grade school. The second proposed option would close one school entirely, transition another school to serve pre-K through fifth grade and keep one school operating as is.

Several parents said the process has lacked transparency, having only learned of potential changes earlier this month.

“We have a very strong community, we are more of like a family there and the All-Saints community is very up in arms about this,” said Kelly Barbour, All Saints PTO president and a mother to two children in the school.

School leaders said they were doing their due diligence before presenting a plan.  

“It’s not just the parents that want to keep the three schools the way they are. The superintendent wants to keep them the way they are but again, just like any organization, we’re facing financial difficulties and we have to make difficult decisions,” said Bott.

Parents were encouraged to submit their feedback online after Tuesday’s meeting, before the school board and the bishop make the final decision by March 15.