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Jan. 22-Jan. 28, 2021
St. Agnes Academic High School in College
Point to close, citing fi nancial hardship
St. Agnes Academic High School, located at 13-20 124th St. in College Point, is a culturally diverse Catholic high school for young women
that develops a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Photo via Google Earth
Vol. 30 No. 4 28 total pages
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
St. Agnes Academic High
School, an all-girls private Roman
Catholic School in College
Point, is permanently closing
its doors at the end of the 2021
school year.
The Sisters of St. Dominic of
Amityville sent a letter on Jan.
13 informing parents of the
school’s closure, saying that
the “financial realities during
the past several years” have
made it impossible to sustain
the school and that the COVID-
19 pandemic had complicated
the previously existing difficulties.
“After considerable thought
and discussion, we announce
with great sadness that Saint
Agnes will close its doors at
the end of this 2021 academic
year,” Sister Peggy McVetty,
OP, Prioress, and members of
the leadership council said in
the letter. “The decision to end
112 years of excellent education
has been most difficult.”
St. Agnes Academic High
School, located at 13-20 124th
St., was founded by the Sisters
of St. Dominic. It is a culturally
diverse Catholic high school
for young women that develops
a strong foundation for lifelong
learning. Its mission is to
graduate women who are open
to growth, intellectually competent,
socially aware, morally
discerning and committed to
being women of integrity and
truth, according to its website.
A plan is in place to enable
students to discover their best
options in the future, according
to McVetty. If desired, the
school administration will
assist in the placement of students
in Catholic high schools,
as well as create an academic
program which will allow for
accelerated graduation for
present-day juniors.
“Know that the administration,
faculty and staff are working
hard to ease the transition
for our young women and to
provide a good path forward,”
McVetty said.
To respond to parents’ concerns
and questions, Zoom
meetings began on Jan. 13 and
continued through Jan. 14-19.
The Sisters of Saint Dominic,
as well as the members of
the board of directors, extended
their profound gratitude to
parents and the school community
for its many sacrifices and
commitments to St. Agnes.
Saddened and heartbroken
by news of the school’s closure,
St. Agnes alumni are starting a
movement to save the school.
Alumni Robin Loesch says
she feels blessed to have attended
St. Agnes that made her the
woman she is today.
“When I hear my alma
mater’s name, I feel a sense of
pride, joy, wisdom and the spirit
of God St.,” Loesch said. “My
alma mater helped me achieve
success and build the confidence
to break myself out of a
familial situation that was no
fault of my own. As a teacher
who was inspired by my teachers
from Agnes, I know not
every student has the stability
and support they deserve
academically and spiritually.
Young women like myself received
this needed stability
and support during our time at
St. Agnes.”
Loesch said she started to
think about what funds she
could personally pull together,
whether it was downsizing
her upcoming wedding or taking
from her savings account.
There have also been talks
about starting a GoFundMe
campaign.
“If we all pull together to
fight for our school, I am sure
we can perform a miracle,”
Loesch wrote on St. Agnes’ Facebook
page.
Loesche and many alums
are planning to contact highprofile
individuals to spread
their mission, she said.
“I pray to God we can be successful
so other young women
can receive the same experience
and benefit from what
St. Agnes has to offer,” said
Loesche, who is feeling hopeful
that a miracle can happen
to keep the doors of St. Agnes
open for future young women.”
/QNS.COM
