Savio Preparatory High School
Encyclopedia
St. Dominic Savio Preparatory High School was a Catholic
educational institution located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The school shut down in June 2007.
called Saint Dominic Savio
High School, which was founded in 1958 by the Salesians of Don Bosco
, an order of the Catholic Church. Savio built a solid reputation
as it educated the young men from predominantly Italian-American and Irish
families in East Boston, Revere
, Winthrop
, and Chelsea
. At its peak, about 440 students were enrolled.
In the early 1990s—as part of a continual process to cut back on resources due to a decrease in the number of priests and brothers, which made it harder to staff facilities, and an increase in costs, such as the healthcare outlays needed to take care of an ageing population
of religious personnel
-- the Salesians announced that the school would be closing, a revelation that caused an uproar in the community.
A group of alumni stepped in and eventually the Salesians agreed to cede control of the school to the group, initially with no charge for rental of the property
. In September 1993, Savio Preparatory High School opened. Though there was no gap between the Salesians administering the school and the alumni taking over, the period of indecision that preceded the change saw many faculty members
and students relocate to other schools. Since then Savio, which became co-ed in the mid-1990s, had been trying to regain the enrollment.
In its last years, Savio faced plummeting enrollment and financial distress, which caused the school's board of directors to vote in early 2007 to close the school at the end of the academic year.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
educational institution located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The school shut down in June 2007.
Background
Its original incarnation was an all-boys schoolSchool
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
called Saint Dominic Savio
Dominic Savio
Dominic Savio was an Italian adolescent student of Saint John Bosco. He was studying to be a priest when he became ill and died at the age of 14, possibly from pleurisy....
High School, which was founded in 1958 by the Salesians of Don Bosco
Salesians of Don Bosco
The Salesians of Don Bosco is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the late nineteenth century by Saint John Bosco in an attempt, through works of charity, to care for the young and poor children of the industrial revolution...
, an order of the Catholic Church. Savio built a solid reputation
Reputation
Reputation of a social entity is an opinion about that entity, typically a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria...
as it educated the young men from predominantly Italian-American and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
families in East Boston, Revere
Revere
-People:*Anne Revere, U.S. film actress of the 1940s*Ben Revere, American Baseball Player in the Minnesota Twins organization*Joseph W. Revere, Union general in the American Civil War*Lawrence Revere, U.S. author and professional gambler*Paul Revere, U.S...
, Winthrop
Winthrop
-Places:United States*Winthrop, Arkansas*Winthrop, Indiana*Winthrop, Iowa*Winthrop, Maine*Winthrop, Massachusetts*Winthrop, Minnesota*Winthrop, WashingtonAustralia*Winthrop, Western AustraliaUnited Kingdom*Winthrop, Nottinghamshire, England-Other uses:...
, and Chelsea
Chelsea, Massachusetts
Chelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. It is the smallest city in Massachusetts in land area, and the 26th most densely populated incorporated place in the country.-History:...
. At its peak, about 440 students were enrolled.
In the early 1990s—as part of a continual process to cut back on resources due to a decrease in the number of priests and brothers, which made it harder to staff facilities, and an increase in costs, such as the healthcare outlays needed to take care of an ageing population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of religious personnel
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
-- the Salesians announced that the school would be closing, a revelation that caused an uproar in the community.
A group of alumni stepped in and eventually the Salesians agreed to cede control of the school to the group, initially with no charge for rental of the property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
. In September 1993, Savio Preparatory High School opened. Though there was no gap between the Salesians administering the school and the alumni taking over, the period of indecision that preceded the change saw many faculty members
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and students relocate to other schools. Since then Savio, which became co-ed in the mid-1990s, had been trying to regain the enrollment.
In its last years, Savio faced plummeting enrollment and financial distress, which caused the school's board of directors to vote in early 2007 to close the school at the end of the academic year.