Bellarmine-Jefferson High School to take yearlong hiatus

When students at Bellarmine-Jefferson High School (Bell-Jeff) in Burbank break for summer vacation next year, the school’s operations will officially take a yearlong hiatus to allow administrators to focus on restructuring the school’s education program for the fall of 2019.

Higher operating costs and a decade-long decline in enrollment led to the decision to restructure the school program. Over the past decade, the student body at Bell-Jeff — which was founded in 1944 by Msgr. Martin Cody Keating — has dwindled from 295 students to 98 students.

School administrators will be working with families to place this year’s freshmen, sophomores and juniors at other Catholic high schools. They will also help find new positions for the faculty and staff members.

“Students will be given priority status in enrolling at local Catholic high schools, as well as transitional tuition assistance and reimbursement for new uniforms,” said Dr. Kevin Baxter, senior director and superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.