A “Hail Mary” effort to save St. Michael’s School was launched Sunday afternoon in an effort to save South Sioux City’s 75-year old Catholic school from closure at the end of the school year.
A group of about 40 patrons, teachers and staff gathered in the school cafeteria to hear details of what is needed to keep the school’s doors open past the end of the 2025-26 school year this spring.
The Archdiocese of Omaha has told school officials that they have until Feb. 28 of this year to secure $5.7 million in support.
According to St. Michael’s Pastor Father Matthew Niggemeyer, the $5 million would set up an endowment that would provide annual funding for the school and alleviate the financial burden on the parish, with the remaining $700,000 going to direct support for the school for the following school year.
The school received notice from the Archdiocese of Omaha back in early December that, due to increased costs that the parish can no longer sustain, the school — which was opened in 1950 at its location at 1315 1st Ave., — would be closed at the end of the 2025-26 school year. The news caught the church’s family and community by surprise, and now the church community is putting together an effort to raise the funds necessary to keep the school’s doors open beyond this May.
Church school officials and volunteers will be contacting past alumni and looking for donors who would be willing to help the church reach this $5.7 million fundraising goal through donations or pledges.
Father Niggemeyer said the Feb. 28 date was chosen to give teachers who, if the effort fails, would have a chance to apply for other teaching jobs for next school year.
For more information on making a donation or contacting the school for more information, go to https://sites.google.com/view/savestmikes/home.
