By Carmen M. Hubbard

HAMILTON DEANERY — It was a bittersweet ending as St. Julie Billiart School closed their doors after 114 years of Catholic education.

The school’s PTO hosted a program on May 30 called "Celebrating the Roots of our Past and the Branches of our Future" in the school auditorium on Shuler Avenue in Hamilton.

"(For) the past year (the school closing) has sunk in," said Sharon Noelker, president of St. Julie’s PTO and co-organizer of the program. "It’s sad but exciting. The fact that the parish is still here is important."

The celebration included a prayer service, contemporary Christian music and recognition of former teachers, administrators and students. An open house after the programwas held in the school’s cafeteria, where students and guests visited a school history timeline and its memorabilia.

CT/E.L. HUBBARD

Catherine Leugers, foreground, and Bridget Pate look over the memorabilia at St. Julie. Leugers taught music at the school, and Pate had two children attending.

The school closing is part of the newly created Butler County Catholic Education Collaborative to enhance and continue parochial schools within the county. The collaborative includes St. Julie and St. Peter in Chains schools, grades K-8.

The collaborative developed an educational assessment last year to consolidate St. Julie, St. Peter and St. Ann Catholic School. The study estimated 540 students enrolled in the three schools during 2006-07 academic year. In 2001, the combined schools experienced a 35 percent enrollment decline.

Other schools that have joined the collaborative but aren’t part of the consolidation include Sacred Heart School in Fairfield, Queen of Peace in Millville, and St. Joseph and St. Ann schools in Hamilton.

Originally founded and named St. Veronica School in 1894, the school was part of the Catholic Central Community School — along with St. Stephen and Queen of Peace — in the 1970s. In the 1980s, the school was known as Sts. Stephen and Veronica School. For the past 20 years, the school has been named after St. Julie Billiart.

"It’s up to each one of us today to reflect on each one of our lives. We remember the past and look to the future and ask for God in our lives," St. Julie principal Ed Schweinefuss said during the ceremony.

Celebration co-organizer Julie Yorn said most of St. Julie’s students plan to attend St. Peter In Chains School this fall.

Eleven-year-old Lynn Schutte looks forward to spending the seventh grade at St. Peter, she said.

"It’s sad the school is closing, but the collaboration is great," she said. "We’re going to get the best from St. Peter and St. Julie."