Come June 30, the school bells at La Salle Center in Oakdale will ring no more.
The closing of the private Catholic boarding school at the end of this school term was announced yesterday by the institution’s board of trustees, who cited financial problems and declining enrollment.
La Salle, on the banks of the Great South Bay, was formally known as La Salle Military Academy.
The De La Salle Christian Brothers have been operating the school since 1883, when the school opened in the Bronx.
“It’s a sad day,” said headmaster Brother Dennis Cronin. “Students are disappointed. Parents are disappointed.
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He said the school’s juniors were especially disappointed, because they were only a year away from graduating.
“It’s not a decision that anyone makes easily, especially after investing 118 years in it,” he said.
Joseph Nicelli, president of the alumni association, said the closing was expected, but sad nevertheless.
“We really thought they might move to another location with less overhead,” he said.
“It’s a long history on Long Island that has come to an end.
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La Salle was making efforts to place its students at other Catholic schools. Officials were in contact with the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said officials.
La Salle has 266 students in grades kindergarten through 12. That figure is down from a peak of 525 students in 1997.
The center’s financial difficulties started 20 years ago when high school enrollment started declining.
To try to and stanch the flow of red ink, the Oakdale campus was sold to St. John’s University.
Still, revenue was unable to meet costs.
St. John’s ownership will not be affected by La Salle’s closing.
La Salle moved to the Oakdale site, a one-time estate, in 1926. It started the military program in 1898.
In 1993, La Salle began admitting boys and girls not enrolled in the military program.
Cronin said La Salle had been hurt in recent years by competition from other Catholic schools with lower tuition as well as changing attitudes toward boarding schools.
“I don’t think they’re as popular as they were,” he said.
The list of alumni includes former White House chief of staff John Sununu, Los Angeles Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley, former Staten Island Rep. John Murphy, Nassau County assessor Charles O’Shea and real estate developer Fred De Matteis.
