Immaculata Academy students in Hamburg must select new schools to attend next fall. School leaders announced last Friday the Catholic girls' school would shut down in June. WBFO's Focus on Education Reporter Eileen Buckley says the school will offer help to students.
"I know that they are, particularly, looking at other private and Catholic high schools," said Kimberlee Marciniak, Immaculata's Marketing and Communications Director. Marciniak tells WBFO News the students are talking with their families about their futures.
“I don’t really think a lot of decisions have been made just because the news is so recent,” said Marciniak.
The school will be assisting students this month as it plans to host other area private and catholic schools to help students explore their options.
“We’re going to be having an event at our school for our families where we’ve asked the over private and Catholic schools to come and be able to present to our families, a 15 to 20-minute presentation about who they are, what they have to offer and to see if it is something of interest to the families,” said Marciniak.
The Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph said they can no longer sponsor the school. An aging population of religious order and decline in members has made it difficult to continue financial contributions. Declining enrollment also played a factor.
180-students are currently enrolled. Since the announcement, the school has offered extra counseling for students sadden Immaculata will close at the end of the school year.
“We just wanted to make sure our young ladies had a way to be able sort through their feelings and be able to talk to people,” explained Marciniak.
Immaculata seniors will be graduating May 23rd.
