ST. LOUIS — In a Christmas Day announcement, Rosati-Kain High School announced it would remain open after reaching a multiyear lease agreement with the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
After the archdiocese announced in September it would close Rosati-Kain at the end of the 2022-23 school year as part of its "All Things New" consolidation plan, alumnae and students came together and launched a campaign to save the school. The campaign, called RK Forever, aimed to establish Rosati-Kain as an independent school through endowed and pledged funds.
The new lease agreement announced Sunday will keep the all-girls Catholic high school open at its current location at 4389 Lindell Blvd. in St. Louis.
The building is a historic landmark that has been home to the high school since the 1920s. There, Rosati-Kain became the first high school in the St. Louis area to integrate in 1947.
Since then, Rosati-Kain has held the title of "most diverse all-girls high school in the region," with 55% of students identifying as Black, Hispanic, Asian or multiracial, according to the school.
School leaders have called the agreement to keep the high school open a "Christmas miracle."
“This is a milestone moment that launches a strong, bright future for the Rosati-Kain community and for the St. Louis region," Rosati-Kain Academy Board Chair Cynthia Goudy said in a statement. "We are elated to be able to assure our students, our families, and our teachers and staff that Rosati-Kain will remain open."
As part of new operation plans, St. Joseph Educational Ministries will become Rosati-Kain's new Catholic sponsor. SJEM, founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph Carondelet, also sponsors Fontbonne University in Clayton, St. Joseph's Academy in Frontenac, St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf in Brentwood and Indianapolis as well as Avila University and St. Teresa's Academy in Kansas City, according to its website.
"It's inspiring to see the community rally around Rosati-Kain," St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said in a statement. "Our schools are anchors for our neighborhoods, and I am thrilled that Rosati-Kain will continue to serve a diverse student body in the coming years."
According to Rosati-Kain, more detailed plans for its future will be shared in early January.
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