St. Christopher School to Stay Open

St. Christopher School in Midlothian, which was on the Archdiocese of Chicago's list of Catholic schools it would be closing at the end of this academic year, will remain open thanks to a financial plan officials put together.

READ: Families, Alumni Reaching Out to Keep St. Christopher School Open

"We did it!!!! St. Christopher School is here to stay! Thank you to EVERYONE who helped make this possible!" stated an update on the school's Facebook page late Friday afternoon.

A parent with a child enrolled at St. Christopher also confirmed Friday that the archdiocese had overturned its decision to close the school.

St. Christopher School was one of six schools the archdiocese announced it was closing earlier this month. The school, which currently enrolls 217 students, has a $175,000 deficit this year and is projecting a $200,000 shortfall next year.

The school's finance council created and presented a long-term fiscal plan for the school to the archdiocese, which approved it Friday, Jan. 24.

READ: St. Bernadette’s Academy Slated to Close at End of School Year

A pledge drive is a part of that proposal, and according to the plan, donors had already contributed more than $360,000 from Jan. 15-20. Donors also will match their pledges over the next five years, which the school projects will raise about $1.8 million in funding for the school.