High school won’t reopen
Immaculate Conception Cathedral School says it will close grades 9-12 this fall after several roadblocks.
The high school at Immaculate Conception Cathedral School will not be reopening this fall, according to a letter sent Tuesday by the Very Rev. Robert Marshall Jr., pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
The school does plan to reopen its pre-kindergarten through 8th grade elementary and middle school for the 202021 school year.
According to Marshall’s letter, the allgirls high school has faced enrollment challenges for years. Now, economic hardship related to COVID-19 has caused an additional challenge for many families attending the school. Additionally, many students were receiving financial aid grants from the parish, Marshall wrote, a level of support that couldn’t be continued.
In addition to coronavirus-related financial challenges for families and for the school, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception also cited the uncertain future of the education savings account program as a roadblock to staying open.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception had been approved by the state to accept students through the program. It is unclear how many of the 2,000 student applicants intended to attend the school.
The education savings account program, a controversial Tennessee law passed last year, would allow students in Davidson and Shelby County public school districts to attend private schools and pay for it, in part, by redirecting public funds to private education in a voucher-style program. The law was passed without approval from the school districts and has since faced lawsuits.
Marshall wrote that the high school students who planned to attend the school for the upcoming school year will be offered the opportunity to study at St. Benedict at Auburndale High School.
The high school dates back to 1922, Marshall wrote in his letter.
“It is heartbreaking that a school that survived so much would be felled by a pandemic, but we have no doubt that the faith first planted by the Sisters of Mercy so many years ago will continue to blossom in all whose hearts were touched by their years on our campus.”
Commercial Appeal reporter Laura Testino contributed.
Katherine Burgess covers county government, religion and the suburbs. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com, 901-5292799 or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.