Maine parents fight to save Saint Dominic Academy high school
AUBURN, Maine (WGME) -- Some Maine parents say they feel blindsided with the planned closure of the high school at Saint Dominic Academy in Auburn.
Some parents plan to meet Tuesday night in hopes of saving the school or convincing the bishop to keep it open.
Bishop James Ruggieri says the school will close at the end of the year.
High school enrollment is currently 137 students.
Ruggieri says the school’s operational losses are forecasted to be around $2.5 million from 2020 to 2025.
The closure just affects the high school.
Programs at Saint Dominic Academy will continue for students in pre-K through 8.
Those classes will be held at Lewiston’s Holy Cross campus for the 2025 to 2026 school year.
Parents are pushing back on the closure and plan to meet Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at 1 Bates Street to share any information they have ahead of a meeting on April 10 with the bishop.
Christine Doyle has two children who attend Saint Dominic Academy. Doyle says she felt blindsided when opening an email from the school about the planned closure.
"I was completely shocked. I had to read it a few times. I had no clue. No warning signs, nothing. I had no idea it was coming at all. It wasn't a happy email to receive email to receive, really hard to receive on a Friday afternoon without any context or answers in it."
Ruggieri says support will be offered to students who are having a difficult time with the closure.
