Immaculate Conception Cathedral School Announces Closure
Memphis, Tenn. – April 2, 2024 — After a thorough evaluation and much prayer with many key stakeholders, Immaculate Conception Cathedral School in Memphis today regrets to announce its closure effective at the end of this current school year. The school operates from preschool through eighth grade.
“This is a very heartbreaking decision given the rich history of our school,” said Father Robert Szczechura, Pastor, The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. “We prayed often, and our school board, parents, and parish leaders met many times to collaborate on all possibilities from several angles to keep the school open. Unfortunately, the ongoing lack of financial stability and our constant struggle with enrollment made it impossible for the parish to continue operating the school.”
“We had hoped that our collaboration, promotion, and recruitment efforts for the school, combined with the availability of Tennessee’s Educational Savings Accounts program, would enable our enrollment to grow,” said Kadesha Gordon, Principal, Immaculate Conception Cathedral School. However, it became increasingly clear that our hopes were not sustainable. And, despite everyone’s hard work, the expense of maintaining a school is far beyond what the parish and community were able to support.”
“Our focus now is to provide our students and parents information about other Catholic Schools in the area. We will do all we can to help place our students in a safe, nurturing, and supportive educational environment of another Catholic School,” said Fr. Szczechura. “We want to make this transition as smooth as possible for our students and parents. Meetings will be offered to discuss each child’s future education, and the same will be done for all our faculty members. We pray that God will bless each family during this transition and always.”
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is honored to be a part of the Midtown Memphis community. Through the work of school leaders, teachers, parents, alumni and volunteers for numerous years, the parish considers it a blessing and privilege to have provided a strong Catholic education to many diverse students who have walked its halls.
NewsReleaseICCSClosureFinalApril0224
About Immaculate Conception Cathedral School
Immaculate Conception Cathedral School was established by the Sisters of Mercy a year after Immaculate Conception Catholic Church was built on the corner of Rozelle and Central in the Central Gardens. Rooted in Catholic principles, the school has always served as a richly diverse group of students from a variety of faiths and backgrounds from across the Memphis area.
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