ST JOSEPH ACADEMY’S FINAL YEAR
Dear Families and Friends,
It is with deep sadness that I tell you that St. Joseph Academy, both the elementary grades and the Montessori Children’s House, will close at the end of this school year (full press release is listed below). The Adrian Dominican Sisters, corporate sponsors of the Academy, made this difficult decision after many years of declining enrollment and multiple-year budget deficits.
Despite the best efforts of the school staff and committed, generous parents and donors, we have been unable to balance the budget or stem the tide of decreasing enrollment. Just two years ago, due to declining enrollment and the inability to match income with expenses, our nineteen-year satellite Montessori program in Tecumseh closed in June 2010.
Heartfelt sadness pervades this news of our beloved SJA closing in June 2012. However, you can be justifiably proud of the marvelous teachers and staff that work tirelessly for your dear children. The SJA staff, who receive minimal pay for their extensive efforts and time, have had pay freezes and cuts, yet still remain committed to providing the best for your children.
Be assured that our faculty and staff will continue to offer the quality education you have come to expect from SJA, providing a nurturing environment for the children through the end of the school year. We will also do everything needed to ensure an ease of transition to their newly chosen schools and programs.
Let us keep each other in prayer as we grieve this loss.
With a sad heart,
Sister Pat Fischer, OP
Principal
PRESS RELEASE – February 7, 2012
ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY TO CLOSE IN JUNE 2012
Saint Joseph Academy, founded in 1896 by the Sisters on their home grounds in northeast Adrian, and the Montessori Children’s House, founded in 1971 at the Academy, will close at the end of the 2011-2012 academic year. Declining enrollment and multiple-year deficit budgeting led to the Sisters’ decision to close the institution after 115 years of educating tens of thousands of children—Catholic and non-Catholic, ages pre-school through high school, and from Lenawee County and far beyond. The Adrian Dominican Sisters are the corporate sponsors of the Academy.
“As women who have dedicated much of our lives and invested significant resources over the decades in providing a quality, Catholic, values-centered education to children here in our hometown and in numerous other places around the country, we are naturally saddened by this decision,” said Prioress Attracta Kelly, OP, the Congregation’s leader. “St. Joseph Academy was the first educational institution established by our founder, Mother Camilla Madden. It holds a very dear place in our hearts,” she said.
In establishing the Academy, Mother Camilla envisioned providing a first-rate education to girls from families of moderate and poor financial circumstances. She set board and tuition at $10 per month. The then-pastor of St. Mary’s Church said it could not be done, but Mother Camilla insisted. History vindicated her: The Academy thrived for most of the 20th century, attracting thousands of young women to the “model institution” (Adrian Telegram, August 4, 1902) and providing a fertile source of vocations to the fledgling community of Catholic Sisters.
Over the past ten years, the Academy’s declining student population at all levels has not only presented financial challenges but also begun to limit the school’s ability to support a healthy social and educational environment for children. Of the 108 students projected to enroll next year, only 24 would be elementary students in grades 1 through 4.
The school’s principal, Adrian Dominican Sister Pat Fischer, OP, notified the Academy’s faculty, staff, and advisory council of the decision yesterday, with ensuing notice given to parents. Praising the dedication of the school’s faculty and staff, Sister Fischer noted that every effort has been made in recent years to keep the Academy open. Prioress Attracta Kelly echoed the sentiment, expressing the Congregation’s deep gratitude to Sister Pat and all members of the faculty, staff, and advisory council for their leadership and dedication.
“Our educational mission is now clearly calling us to respond to a new need,” Sister Kelly said. “While we do not yet know what shape that will take, we are open to the call of the Spirit and the needs of our Lenawee County community as we consider next steps.”
ADRIAN DOMINICAN SISTERS
1257 East Siena Heights Drive
Adrian, Michigan 49221-1793
www.adriandominicans.org
CELEBRATE SJA
This year marks the 115th anniversary of St. Joseph Academy and the 40th anniversary of our Montessori program! We feel honored to have left a legacy of learning in Lenawee County.
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Inspiring. Nurturing. Peaceful. |
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