Parents Meet With Staff Of Vincentian Academy To Discuss Closing

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Parents of students at Vincentian Academy met with the principal and other staff on Wednesday night to discuss the closing of the school.

At the end of this school year, 27 employees, including 18 teachers, will lose their jobs and nearly 100 students will need to find a new school.

"I think it's more than a business, I feel like they could've took that into consideration more," said Alex Khorey, a junior at Vincentian Academy. "They could've thought about us and not necessarily the business aspect."

The Vincentian Academy Parent Association is launching a "Save Our School" campaign.

The principal of Vincentian Academy did not allow KDKA to attend the meeting, but the Vincentian Academy Parents Association provided Shelby Cassesse with a letter that summarized the meeting and the plan ahead.

"Our final ask to the Western Provincial Board, was to allow Vincentian Academy to remain open and allow the enrolled children to complete their mission," the letter read.

The VAPA also requested money that they say would balance the budget for the 2020-2021 school year.

Vincentian Academy says that declining enrollment and other financial issues ultimately led them to the decision.

"She [Sister Barbara Flores] went on to tell Ms. Nassif that no dollar amount would be given as there are too many variables, the decision is final," the letter continued.

"Despite the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth abandoning their mission here in Pittsburgh and abruptly closing the school at the end of this year, nothing is final. Our children's education is not over. My daughter is going to be a senior next year and she deserves the best year ever after working so hard at Vincentian Academy and especially after what the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth did to her." - Amy Nassif, President, Vincentian Academy Parent Association

The letter also said that the administration and staff are working to get alternative education options for students for the next school year.