Archdiocese of Denver closing 2 K-8 schools; 2 high schools to consolidate

DENVER — The Archdiocese of Denver announced Friday it will be closing two K-8 schools and consolidating two high schools in the next year. 

Wellspring Catholic Academy of St. Bernadette in Lakewood will close Dec. 20 and Guardian Angels Catholic School in Denver will close at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, according to a release.

In addition, the release said, Bishop Machebeuf High School and St. John Paul the Great High School, which are both in Denver, will partner beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. A spokesperson said the two schools will consolidate and operate out of St. John Paul the Great High School’s campus. 

The Archdiocese said the decision to restructure comes as a result of “serious financial challenges that have required tens of millions of dollars from the Archdiocese in the last decade,” as well as “declining enrollment due to ongoing demographic changes” at Colorado schools.

The move to consolidate is expected to strengthen enrollment at several nearby Catholic schools, according to the release.

The release said the closures and partnership “will allow the Archdiocese to re-invest in Catholic education across northern Colorado, bolster its commitment to the education and formation of the whole person, and continue its service to those with modest financial means and serious learning disabilities.”

The Archdiocese said it is committed to helping school employees in finding new roles within its Catholic schools and supporting students in finding a new, nearby Catholic school community.