Bishop James Ruggieri announced Tuesday the K-8 program at the former Holy Cross School in Lewiston will close and move to the Auburn campus of St. Dominic Academy in January 2026.

The pre-K classes will also move.

Last March, the bishop said the diocese would close the high school at the Auburn campus at 121 Gracelawn Road and move the sixth, seventh and eighth graders also at the Auburn campus to Holy Cross at 17 Baird Ave. in Lewiston for a K-8 St. Dominic Academy school. He cited declining enrollments and lack of revenue.

But the size and conditions of the Holy Cross site proved to be inadequate, forcing the move to Auburn.

Ruggieri said the decision was made after study and consultation with church and school officials.

“The decision has the full support of the superintendent and the school principal,” Ruggieri said in a letter to St. Dom’s families. “Although it will unfortunately be a cause of inconvenience for all parties involved in St. Dominic Academy, and while it was not the intention to move mid-year, we believe this is the best way for the educational program and students to thrive.”

The bishop said that the diocese is not certain of the long-term viability of the Holy Cross campus and began looking at other options for the 2026-27 school year. The Holy Family campus on Sabattus Street would not work due to the larger than expected enrollment, leaving the former high school building in Auburn as the best option.

“Enrollment is robust and has exceeded our projections, particularly for the middle school,” Ruggieri said. “I am grateful for your support and flexibility as we prayerfully assessed the best course of action for the coming years.”

Parents Adam and Erin Dunbar received the news with mixed emotions. They have a child attending St. Dominic Academy and another one in ninth grade who was forced to look for a new school with the closing of the high school.

“During multiple town hall meetings and through numerous communications with the diocese, the Saint Dominic community expressed serious concerns that Holy Cross School was already overcrowded, lacked HVAC, had no working kitchen, inadequate restroom facilities, and was in need of significant repair,” the Dunbars said in an email. ” Unfortunately, by disregarding those concerns — which have now proven true — the diocese has further strained the trust of the faithful.”

They added that their eighth-grader is delighted to return to the Auburn campus for the second semester.

To facilitate the move, students will have an extra week of vacation during Christmas break and return to school Jan. 12 in Auburn.

The diocese plans to enter into long-term lease agreements for the athletic facilities with financially stable outside groups.

The diocese is also looking to start a day care program on the Auburn campus “for children aged six weeks to three years, a significant need for the community,” Ruggieri said.

The Catholic Diocese of Portland announced in March that it was closing the high school at the end of the school year, citing low enrollment and operating losses going back several years.

Supporters first tried to work with the diocese to keep the high school campus in Auburn operating for a “bridge year” to allow time to raise the funds and create the operating structure needed to take the school over as a private Catholic high school.

When that effort failed, a board set up to save the high school explored the possibility of opening the school at a different location, with the Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston agreeing to potentially accommodate St. Dom’s at Holy Family School.

But it was determined by the board that projected fundraising and tuition revenue were too much of a risk to maintain solvency for the entire year.

When the high school, founded in 1941, was closed, enrollment had dropped to 137 students. The diocese has said it lost $2.5 million between 2020-25 operating the school.