St. Catherine Early Childhood Center to close in late May after 93 years in service

The St. Catherine Early Childhood Center (ECC) in St. Mary Hall is set to close at the end of the academic school year on May 24.

A spokesperson for the university said the ECC has “experienced the same staffing challenges and enrollment instability that other preschool and early learning programs have struggled with.”

This was considered while evaluating the financial viability of the ECC over the past several years, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson also pointed out that free public and pre-K programs have grown in recent years along with changes in state grant funding.

St. Catherine officials say that there are currently 19 children enrolled in the ECC.

There are currently no plans for how to use the space in the future.