Determining that it is not feasible to keep St. Maria Goretti Regional Catholic High School open as an independent Catholic school, leaders of the Hagerstown school announced Nov. 28 that the coeducational institution will close at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore had previously announced in September that the school would close since the archdiocese could no longer continue bridging the gap between the school’s annual operating expenses and revenue. School supporters immediately formed an Independent Exploratory Committee (IEC) to look at transitioning the school from an archdiocesan school to an independent Catholic school.
“The primary objective of the IEC was to assess the feasibility of St. Maria Goretti Regional Catholic High School transitioning into an independent Catholic high school, ensuring its ability to sustain crucial expenses such as salaries, benefits, utilities and other operational costs essential for maintaining a safe and enriching learning environment,” said Dr. Amy Summers, principal, in a letter to the school community announcing the decision. “Regrettably, after extensive research and thoughtful deliberations, the IEC has concluded that SMGRCHS will not be able to operate as an independent Catholic high school in the fall of 2024. Consequently, the IEC will be disbanded, and no further meetings or discussions will be held.”
The principal said she appreciated the “tireless efforts of the Independent Exploratory Committee.”
“Moving forward, our focus will be on ensuring that the final year at St. Maria Goretti Regional Catholic High School remains an exceptional and memorable experience for our students, faculty and staff,” Summers said. “The administration at SMGRCHS is committed to supporting each individual through this transitional period.”
The archdiocese has provided Goretti with more than $8.5 million over the last five years, but enrollment has declined to 147 – a 33 percent drop from the 2017-18 school year.
A Nov. 29 statement from the Archdiocese of Baltimore noted that since 1955, the school has “provided students in Hagerstown and throughout the tri-state region with an academically challenging program in an environment deeply rooted in the traditions of the Catholic faith, making this decision especially difficult.”
The statement said closure “was not an easy decision and came after considerable discussion and extensive evaluation of the sustainability of the school by the archdiocese and the Independent Exploratory Committee (IEC).”
“We pray that the transition for these students and families is a smooth one and are working closely with them on placement in our other Catholic schools,” the statement said. “We also pray for the dedicated staff at St. Maria Goretti Regional Catholic School and thank them for their years of dedication to our students and community.”
Students at Goretti are encouraged to enroll in another Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in the next academic year. The nearest high school in the archdiocese is located approximately 30 miles from Hagerstown at St. John’s Catholic Prep in Buckeystown. Three other options are each approximately 70 or more miles away – Bishop Walsh School in Cumberland, Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore and Mount de Sales Academy in Catonsville.
Goretti’s original campus was at St. Ann Parish, but the location in a flood plain made the building unsustainable. Goretti’s students moved to a new academic campus on Crestwood Drive in the fall of 2019. Athletic activities stayed on the former campus.
Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org
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