COVINGTON — Declining enrollment and a commitment to continue Catholic education in some of Northern Kentucky's most urban communities prompted the Diocese of Covington to announce this week plans to merge three schools into a new elementary and junior high school.

        At the end of this school year, the diocese will close Holy Spirit in Newport, St. Michael in Bellevue and St. Bernard in Dayton, schools that serve a combined total of 356 students in grades 1-8.

        Next fall, a new, to-be-named school will open in two facilities. Students K-5 will attend school in the St. Michael's building, while 6th-8th-grade classrooms will be in Holy Spirit's current elementary school. St. Bernard will be closed.

        “It's the same story,” said Dr. Lawrence M. Bowman, director for Catholic education and superintendent of diocesan schools. ""People are moving from the city centers, where they lived all their lives, to the suburban areas.”

        In the past five years, total enrollment at the three schools dropped 65 students. And there's no indication the decline would wane, Dr. Bowman said, considering the population boom in places such as Alexandria, which had a 48 percent jump from 1990 to 2000.

        “There's only so much money, and only so many people,” said Tim Fitzgerald, spokesman for the diocese. It becomes an issue of “responsible stewardship of resources.”

        Bishop Robert Muench formed a 22-member task force in September to explore the future of Catholic education in these communities. The 14-county diocese has nine high schools and 32 elementary schools, which serve 12,329 students.

        There are about 85,000 Roman Catholics in Northern Kentucky.

        The plan, which was presented to parents, students, teachers and parish members Thursday, offers more educational opportunities, he said.

        Drawing on combined resources, the new school may offer science labs, a foreign language and algebra, classes that the smaller schools couldn't afford. Also, some grades at the three schools are combined into a single classroom, whereas the new school will have different classes for every grade level, said Dr. Bowman.

        The diocese expects to renovate the two school buildings and may build some additions, including a gymnasium. Now, students at Holy Spirit junior high school use a concrete-floor gym nearly a mile away.

        Diocesan school officials are meeting with architects and don't yet have a budget for what the reorganization will cost, Dr. Bowman said. Six of the 25 teaching positions may be eliminated, as well as some administration jobs. He expects many of the current employees will work in the new school.

        Students are invited to submit suggestions for a new name to a panel of seventh-graders. They'll pick three to forward to the bishop, who will then decide the new name if he's still in town.

        Launching the new school may be the swan song for Bishop Muench, who leaves in March to head the larger Diocese of Baton Rouge, La. But the move didn't influence the time line of the task force, said Mr. Fitzgerald. It planned to present a proposal to the bishop by late January, he said.

        Parent Marianne Verkamp of Bellevue looks forward to the new school. Her sons will be in the first and fourth grades next year.

        “All the possibilities of the new program will help them prepare more for high school education.”

        Although many parents welcomed the changes,the Rev. Rick Bolte of Holy Spirit acknowledged some are upset by the announcement.

        “Whenever there's a change, that's always a difficult thing for people,” he says. “But it's also an opportunity to dream about the new things.”

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