In the Archdiocese of Denver there are only two high schools but as of next year there will only be one.
Bishop Machebeuf High School in Denver was announced to be closing the following school year of 2025-2026.
Bishop Machebeuf has been around for 66 years and was named after Bishop Joseph Machebeuf.
Mr. Tarrant a former teacher at Machebeuf and a math teacher here in Holy Family gave his opinions on the closing of the school: “When I was there the entire staff had a passion for their faith and union, and it’s sad because I know the people.”
It is hard for those families in Machebeuf who now have to transfer their children. Holy Family is a good option but it is a far distance for those who live in Denver.
Machebeuf is a classical curriculum and I asked Mr. Tarrant if that would affect any high schoolers who are planning to transfer to Holy Family: “I feel we have enough teachers that they will feel like home. The transition won’t be as hard.”
It is true that Holy Family has a lot of educational opportunities and a wide variety of teachers so even coming from a classical school it won’t be as hard to adapt because of the great staff that teach here at Holy Family.
An eighth grade student from St. James stated, “It’s sad because not only were more students going to go, but it effects St. James as well because many families will have to move away to get their children to a better Catholic High School.”
The Archdiocese is closing Machebeuf because of low enrollment. “I came to Machebeuf in 2015, and at that point we saw that we needed to increase enrollment,” claimed Mr. Tarrant.
“I found a home at Machebeuf because of the passion to grow. I see the same thing here,” sadly stated Mr. Tarrant.
Like Holy Family, Machebeuf is a family of great people and seeing it close is very sad for the Archdiocese as a whole but especially for families that have history with the school.