St. Joseph Prep High School, a 137 year-old institution in Brighton, will close after the end of the 2022-23 academic year, the school’s board announced in a letter to the community Saturday.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that the Board of Trustees has voted to permanently close Saint Joseph Prep Boston at the completion of the 2022-2023 academic year,” the Board of Trustees’ letter reads.
The high school is a co-ed Catholic institution serving about 250 students from around the Boston region and funded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston.
The closure follows a wave of Catholic schools shutting down during the pandemic. The Archdiocese of Boston lists 21 Catholic schools currently operating in the city in 2023, including St. Joseph Prep.
The board noted difficulty finding a “strategic partner(s) who could support the long-term sustainability of the school” and the “challenge of ongoing demographic shifts among middle and high-school-aged children” as reasons for the closure.
“This combination of key factors has resulted in insurmountable financial pressures that have led to this decision,” the letter says.
The letter said the board, administration and congregation are “committed to supporting our community members through this transition” and listed a contact for questions.
“As devastating as closing this 137-year-old institution is, we will work to ensure that this process is one that conveys the maximum possible respect and support for everyone whose lives and careers are impacted,” the board wrote.
