Glendale School Drops Upper Grades; Keeps Pre-K
Change will be coming to St. John’s Lutheran School this September, as the Glendale campus-which has operated as a full elementary school in the neighborhood for 55 years-will reopen solely as an early childhood center.
The school publicly announced on Tuesday, Apr. 30, that it “will not open” classes from kindergarten through eighth grade when the new school year starts in September. Its nursery and universal pre-kindergarten programs, however, will remain in place.
Founded in Brooklyn over 150 years ago, St. John’s Lutheran moved into its current location at 88-24 Myrtle Ave.-a few blocks west of Woodhaven Boulevard and adjacent to the parish church-in 1957. It reached its peak enrollment in the 1966-67 school year, when 310 students attended.
But in recent years, it was reported, declining enrollment and increasing costs reached the point where continuing St. John’s as a fullfledged elementary school became a challenge. Following review by the board which operates the school, the decision was made last week to continue its early childhood program but dismiss kindergarten and all higher grades.
“We are deeply saddened by the school closing, but the board chose this option in light of its inability to offer a high quality program within extreme budget limitations,” said Dr. Ben Herbrich, principal of St. John’s Lutheran.
It was noted that the announcement has “upset the normal school routine of school families and staff alike.”
“The hard part is that we’re talking over 150 years of ministry here,” he told the Times Newsweekly in a phone interview. Originally founded n East Williamsburg, St. John’s had provided a faith-based education to thousands of students since it opened in 1848.
The school had closed in 1931 amid the Great Depression, but reopened in 1947 during the Baby Boom era following World War II. St. John’s moved into its current schoolhouse approximately 10 years later, providing “ample space and modern educational facilities.”
Parents of students currently enrolled in kindergarten through the seventh grade met with school officials on Monday, Apr. 29, regarding the options of enrolling at other schools in the area. St. John’s administrators are encouraging families to enroll their children at one of the two closest Lutheran schools: Redeemer Lutheran School, located at 69-26 Cooper Ave. in Glendale; or Martin Luther School (grades six through 12 only), located at 60-02 Maspeth Ave. in Maspeth.
St. John’s is continuing to accept applications for its two universal prekindergarten classes for four-yearolds “and its own Christian education of pre-kindergarten classes for threeand four-year-olds,” according to a school announcement.
As for the teachers of the discontinued classes, Herbrich told the Times Newsweekly that “those teachers that we need will be retained,” and that the other teachers will be provided with assistance in finding employment at other schools.
“We will support them in any way,” Herbrich added.
There are no plans as of yet regarding the school building itself, and its future use will ultimately be determined by the church leadership, the principal stated. Some space, he noted, could be used if the need presents itself to expand the pre-kindergarten programs.
Despite the news of the end of its upper grades, Herbrich stated, the school is committed to ending “in a strong way” with a host of programs- including a spring concert- in the weeks leading up to the end of the current school year in June.
