St. Bede School in Ingleside to Close Despite Massive Fundraising
Chicago (March 21, 2024) – Today, Rev. George Koeune, pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish and St. Bede School in Ingleside, Ill. announced that St. Bede School will be closing at the end of this school year due to low registration for next school year. As of March 19, 119 students had registered for next year whereas the parish and school had set an enrollment target of 182.
The plight of St. Bede School became widely known earlier this winter when the parish and school launched a fundraising campaign to keep the school open. Over $500,000 was raised through that campaign but, in the end, not enough students enrolled to make the school viable.
Koeune and the parish finance council met the evening of March 19 and agreed that the appropriate action was to close the school. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, accepted their recommendation.
In his letter to the parish and school, Koeune shared, “The loss of the state Invest in Kids scholarship program created a feeling of uncertainty for the school’s future that could not be overcome—even by an incredible fundraising effort.” He thanked donors for their extraordinary generosity and said those who have contributed could either have their donation used to fund scholarships for St. Bede students to attend another Catholic school or could ask to have their donation refunded.
Greg Richmond, superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Chicago, said, “About 15% of students at St. Bede have been receiving a state Invest in Kids scholarship. The legislature’s decision to end that program was a blow to those schoolchildren and a contributing factor to the fate of St. Bede.”
St. Bede School is in Ingleside, Ill. in rural Lake County. It serves a mix of white and Hispanic families and its current enrollment is 182. Families who receive an Invest in Kids scholarship for students to attend a nonpublic school must meet income eligibility requirements.
