Sad news in West Bend from the Washington County Insider.

St. Mary’s School closing in 2016: After 139 years of continuous operation an announcement today that St. Mary’s School on Jefferson Street in Barton will be closing at the end of this school year.

“It was a difficult decision because there is a great deal of history as well as emotion wrapped up in it,” Rev. Nathan Reesman, shared pastor at St. Mary’s and St. Frances Cabrini Parishes, said in an interview Monday evening.

An article published Monday on Washington County Insider outlined the history of St. Mary’s School; dedicated in 1876, the school celebrated its 139th year of continuous operation in September 2015. According to archives in the Research Center at the Washington County Historical Society, this is a record unsurpassed by any private or public school in the U.S.

“People’s hearts, souls, and lives are in this school and that has been a factor all along,” Reesman said. “But at the same time, I think our process was as good as it could have been, and that helped lead us to what I would call an objective conclusion, even if hard.”

Parents and parishioners will be receiving a letter this afternoon, Oct. 20, outlining the process that went into making the decision and detailing what’s ahead for students and staff.