July 28, 2015 By Jackie Strawbridge
Following the abrupt closure of Astoria’s Most Precious Blood Catholic school, the Department of Education will lease the space to use as a 15-class pre-Kindergarten center.
According to DOE spokesperson Jason Fink, there will be 15 full-day pre-K classes with a total of 270 seats at Most Precious Blood – 32-52 37th Street – starting this fall.
Enrollment is currently open, Fink said. There are currently no plans to use the building for any purpose other than pre-K.
The Most Precious Blood community was shocked and saddened to learn of the school’s closure in January, when Rev. William Krlis sent out a letter stating its necessity due to $5.5 million in required school and church repairs, alongside “precipitously” declining school enrollment.
The last day for the Most Precious Blood Catholic school was in June.
The Diocese of Brooklyn, which runs a network of parishes that includes Most Precious Blood, did not respond to questions as of press time.
