Last day of school at St. Peter's in Skokie

SKOKIE, Ill. (WLS) -- After 147 years, Saint Peter Catholic School in north suburban Skokie is closing its doors today for good. Like many parochial schools, St. Peter suffered from falling enrollment and financial challenges.

"It's kind of hard, but knowing that we're just all together makes me pretty happy," Neil Lagatao, seventh grader, said.

"I'm going to love St. peter school forever and my new school even more," Samareh Souffant, St. Peter Catholic School, said.

Students will have to attend other schools next year after the archdiocese school board announced in October of last year that St. Peter would close.

The school served the community for nearly 150 years.

"I just feel that the archdiocese could have worked with the school on a much bigger project and we could have, this would have been avoided," Mary Guthrie, parent, said.

Final enrollment at St. Peter Catholic School for the 2014-2015 school year was less than 100 kids. At its peak, the school had more than 1200 students.

"Some of the demographics shifts are really at play here. So many things we have control over. We've tried to do, tried to make happen and there are many things out of our control," Principal Julie Crawford, St. Peter Catholic School, said.

"We're a family not just friends and we'll still be that," Moira Guthrie, eighth-grade student, said.

The school's secretary, Peggy Lloyd, and her husband graduated from St. Peter.

"I was married in this church 42 years ago. Three children and three grandsons that came here. I'm going to miss them all," she said.

The students formed a circle of unity for a final prayer and for the ringing of the school's bell and then released balloons.