Venango Catholic High School in Oil City will close at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, members of the Venango Region Catholic School (VRCS) Association announced Friday.

St. Stephen School, which serves students in preschool through grade 8, will remain open.

Enrollment for both the high school and middle school dropped since last June, according to the board in January.

Total high school enrollment stands at 32, and enrollment for grades 7 and 8 is a total of 15.

The school also fell short of its financial goals. The board said it had reached a high of $462,003 prior to work that needed to be done on the roof. The reserve now stands at $348,642.

The Diocese of Erie owns the facility and its property. It plans to explore selling the property and using the money to create a fund to help support the elementary school.

The association approved work to fix the leak in the roof at St. Stephen School, water issues on its ground floor and updates to its kitchen.

A $40,000 grant will be used to build a playground at St. Stephen School before the new school year.