Two Catholic elementary schools in Irving, Texas, will merge for the 2016-17 academic year, the Diocese of Dallas has announced.
The Dallas Morning News reports that St. Luke the Apostle School and Holy Family of Nazareth School, which are about three miles apart, will be combined at the Holy Family site to become Holy Family Catholic Academy.
Diocesan officials say the merger will result in upgraded facilities, enhanced curriculum and a stronger academic program. The facilities at St. Luke have been deemed inadequate, and upgrading them would be too costly.
The two schools serve K-8 students and have enrollments this year between 130 and 150 students. The Holy Family campus can accommodate up to 400 students.
On its web site, the St. Luke School said, "We are excited about joining the Holy Family community to build a remarkable academy where our children will grow stronger in their faith and love of Christ, where our students can further develop their academic knowledge and love of learning, and where each child can discover and celebrate his or her special talents and gifts."
Holy Family posted a welcome message on its web site to the St. Luke community.
"We are excited about joining with you to build a remarkable academy where our children will grow stronger in their faith and love of Christ, where our students can further develop their academic knowledge and love of learning, and where each child can discover and celebrate his or her special talents and gifts," Holy Family said.