The Archdiocese of Cincinnati said in a statement Tuesday that the structural issue with the building has to do with the parking lot and the boiler room.
Over the past several years, the ceiling structure for the underground boiler room, independent of the 108-year-old school building, has deteriorated to the point of being structurally unsound, the Archdiocese said. The weight from the parking lot above has taken a toll.
The Archdiocese said steps were taken to temporarily shore up the room, but the structural integrity of the underground boiler room remained a concern.
Last year, parish and school leaders hired a professional engineering firm to conduct an assessment, including the entire working of the mechanical system and costs of repair.
The assessment concluded that most of the school building’s mechanical systems are at the end of their functional life and must be repaired, upgraded or replaced. The boiler room structure was said to need permanent repair. If all the identified needs were addressed, the total cost would be close to $13 million.
“Maintenance of a school building is always a priority, however, the dollars needed for repairs and upgrades can be limited. St. Anthony School has reached a point where maintenance, especially deferred maintenance, has become a serious concern,” said Satish Joseph, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, part of the “NE 7″ family of parishes.
A group of parents from the school have begun organizing on social media in hopes of preventing the school’s closure.
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School was founded in 1915, two years after the establishment of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, the Archdiocese said.
The school’s present enrollment is 156 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and the school employs 14 paid teachers and staff.
The Archdiocese said the other schools in the area, which include Immaculate Conception., St. Helen and Holy Angels, are being asked to give priority acceptance to the families of St. Anthony students next school year.
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