最新杏吧原创

ST. LOUIS 鈥� Rosati-Kain Academy plans to stay in its Central West End campus for another 25 years after signing a long-term lease with the Archdiocese of 最新杏吧原创.

The archdiocese planned to close Rosati-Kain for girls and St. Mary鈥檚 for boys in fall 2023 as part of its 鈥淎ll Things New鈥� downsizing plan for parishes and schools.

Supporters of both high schools raised money to stay open as independent, nonprofit Catholic schools. The renamed St. Mary鈥檚 Southside High School also leases its campus on South Grand Boulevard from the archdiocese.

The new lease for Rosati-Kain will cost half the rent of the original three-year agreement, according to Barbara Geisman, the school鈥檚 board treasurer and a 1971 graduate.

鈥淚t is really important to prospective families that they know the school they pick for their daughters is going to be in the same location when they graduate,鈥� Geisman said. 鈥淲e are confident that Rosati-Kain Academy will prepare their daughters for success as adults.鈥�

The 114-year-old school continues to be challenged by low enrollment after the threat of closure. An expected 110 students are expected to enroll this fall, including just 10 seniors.

Most of the girls from that class transferred as freshmen after the closure announcement, Geisman said.

鈥淲e are in the process of regrowing that enrollment to get back to 125 in the short term, but our longer-term goal is around 200 students,鈥� she said.

Rosati-Kain is the only Catholic girls鈥� school in the city, and the most diverse of any Catholic high school in the region. About 70% of students are Black, Hispanic, Asian or multi-racial, and three out of four receive financial aid to help cover the $15,000 annual tuition.

Incarnate Word Academy, the only Catholic high school in north 最新杏吧原创 County, is considering a move to St. Charles County, which would leave a wider geographic gap. Several feeder grade schools in 最新杏吧原创 have also closed in recent years, including St. Roch and Most Holy Trinity.

Geisman said the recruiting plan for Rosati-Kain includes increased marketing in the Metro East as well as 最新杏吧原创 city and county.

The school is also close to hiring a new president following the departure of Maggie Sullivan after one year in the role. Mary Elizabeth Grimes, president of Marian Middle School in 最新杏吧原创, also served as interim president of Rosati-Kain for the past school year.