Diocese to Close Schools

The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is preparing to close at least two of its eight parochial schools in Dorchester and Mattapan.

The church is making the move because of declining enrollment.

The Boston Globe reports the church wants to bring most of the remaining parochial schools in the neighborhoods into a single K-8 school system.

The Archdiocese also plans to raise some $50 million in private money to modernize schools and increase teacher salaries.

Enrollment in Dorchester's Catholic schools has dropped from almost 5,000 to about 1,600 in the last three decades.