When Kathi Boudwin accepted the fifth-grade teaching job at St. Philomena School six years ago, she was told her time might be limited.
"I was willing to take that risk," she said, "because of how special it was."
Friday was the Lansdowne school's last day. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has decided to close three Delaware County schools because of declining enrollment -- impacting the employment of 44 teachers and three principals, some of whom viewed their workplaces as more an extended family than a place of employ.
June 7, the St. Philomena teachers were brought into the parish center chapel to be informed of the school's closing.
"It just had to be because of the numbers," retiring eighth-grade teacher Kathleen "Kelly" McKenna said. "You can't produce numbers even though it breaks my heart that it's going to close."
This year's enrollment at St. Philomena's was 141, with 88 students re-registered for the upcoming school year. Second grade would have had four students and three other classes in kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school would have had fewer than 10.
At Our Lady of Charity School in Brookhaven, the average class size in the 2011-12 academic year would have been nine students, as 89 students re-registered. There were 176 students attending this school year.
At St. Kevin School in Springfield, the average class size for next year would have been 10 students, with fourth grade having three students and six other grades having fewer than 10 students. The enrollment for last year was 158 students.
Yet, each of these schools held a special place in the hearts of those who comprised it, and their demise can't deter what it meant to them.
McKenna and Boudwin described St. Philomena as a wonderful, large family -- from dance-a-thons to visits from graduates to helping ailing community members.
Lisa Abate, the advanced math teacher who only taught in the mornings, would volunteer afternoons to teach swing dances to the eighth graders and "Stayin' Alive" disco to fifth graders, complete with white polyester suits, for a school fundraiser, the May dance-a-thon.
"It was so phenomenal," McKenna said. "There's just so much spirit."
Even after they completed eighth grade, students often came to visit, whether to get help diagramming sentences or just to say hi.
"The doors were always open to anyone who left here," Boudwin said.
Once, Boudwin missed the first month of school because of a broken foot and leg after a car accident.
Boudwin's students sent her a stack of handmade cards wrapped with a ribbon and many teachers visited her at home. Her co-workers also provided her a dinner, complete with tablecloth and flowers.
McKenna herself had to take a two-week leave of absence one time because of some issues with her heart.
"I was never so scared that you wouldn't be able to come back," one of her students told her. "The day you walked through that door, I was so happy."
On a card, the student wrote, "May God bless you with so many years of happiness."
The two teachers hope St. Philomena's community spirit will continue.
"Our legacy will live on," Boudwin said. "We're just going to make other schools share our joys and our gifts. We just are.
"We all want to work again," she said. "It is the best job in the world. Being happy is more important than making money."
As they left this year, McKenna's students all received one of her beloved giraffes to celebrate their uniqueness.
She explained the animal's significance to her: "Know your values and live by them. You're not going to bend and you're not going to cower."
As the year came to an end, they promised to keep in touch and some made arrangements for monthly meetings at the local Dunkin' Donuts to remember how special St. Philomena was.
"There's no place like this in the world," Boudwin said. "There really isn't."
For each of her 33 years, McKenna would go out to the beach at 5 a.m. one day each summer and write the names of her students in the sand to watch the tide carry them away.
"It's my way of giving you to God to protect you," she told them.
On Thursday, McKenna said she'd have to change her script.
"Now," she said, "I just have to write 'St. Philomena's' in the sand."
