Multiple Catholic schools have closed across the state recently, from St. Andrews in western New York to Catholic Central and St. Ambrose's merger in Troy.

In Central New York, the Syracuse Diocese recently announced that Cathedral Academy at Pompei and Rome Catholic School are closing at the end of the year. But Rome Catholic is trying to keep its doors open.

“Our children are so heartbroken over this,” said Tara Seoane, president of the parent-teacher group at Rome Catholic School.

“When we heard the news, staff were, of course, very upset that they were losing their livelihood, and parents have children here that have really formed relationships,” said Rome Catholic Principal Nancy Kristl. "This is a very small community and it’s a family environment.”

Danielle Cummings, the chancellor and director of communications for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, says the decline in birth rates and population has had an effect on enrollment for Catholic schools in the northeast, which played a part in having to close Cathedral Academy and Rome Catholic.

"So, in both of our schools we had enrollment, in one it was 48, and the other, it was 58, so that's a K-6. In Rome, they do have UPK classes, so the number would be greater if you add the UPK classes, but what we tend to see is that the UPK doesn't translate to enrollment in the K-6," Cummings said.

Kristl said the hope is that Rome Catholic can operate independently, noting that "we have some things in order" and "we are still in that journey."

School officials said they were told by Bishop Douglas Lucia that it would take $1 million in funds for Rome Catholic to operate as an independent school in its current building.

“We are knocking on doors and businesses to see how important this is to the community,” Kristl said. “We’re hoping that God is on our side and some kind of miracle could happen.”

If current Rome Catholic parents want to keep their children in an affiliated Catholic school in the region, they would have to send their children to either Oneida or Utica. The Syracuse Diocese said it will work with parents to help enroll children, and any aid or assistance they received will follow them.