Immaculate Conception Cathedral School (ICCS) will close at the end of this current school year, officials announced Wednesday morning.
The parish could not overcome financial hurdles nor a “constant struggle with enrollment” at the Midtown school, said Father Robert Szczechura, pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The school will work with parents to direct their students to other Catholic schools in the area.
“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, ICCS principal “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.”
The school operates classes from preschool through eighth grade. ICCS was established by the Sisters of Mercy in 1921, on the corner of Rozelle and Central in the Central Gardens.
“This is a very heartbreaking decision given the rich history of our school,” said Szczechura. “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.”