Catholic School in Medford closing after nearly 100 years

MEDFORD, Mass. — A catholic school in Medford is closing after being open for nearly 100 years.

In a letter to the school community, Father Tim Haynes of St. Joseph’s School said the end of this school year would be the conclusion of the school’s mission.

“Having consulted with the Catholic Schools Office for the Archdiocese of Boston (CSO), many factors were weighed and considered before making this decision,” he said.

According to Haynes, enrollment has been steadily declining and stands at 169 students from grades PreK to 8, which is down from 222 from the 2021-2022 school year. The costs of education and maintain the building are also increasing at rates that “simply cannot be passed to families.”

The school is working with area parish schools in the area to welcome families, faculty, and staff for the 2026/2027 school year.

“Our goal is to provide you options to continue Catholic education for your children and to work towards as smooth a transition as is possible for our students,” Haynes said.

In addition, tuition assistance offered by the Catholic Schools Foundation (CSF) will follow families who enroll their children in other Catholic Schools Office sponsored or supported schools.

Catholic schools that have open employment positions for the next academic year will also be asked to provide interview priority to the St. Joseph’s faculty and staff.

The Catholic Schools Office will offer support to these teachers to help them produce resumes.

“For more than 97 years St. Joseph School has been a bedrock in our community. Our students graduate as models of our faith as well as responsible and accomplished members of society. To say this is a heart wrenching decision is an understatement,” he said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2026 Cox Media Group