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Our Lady of Victory Academy in Dobbs Ferry will close at the end of the school year due to declining enrollment, changing demographics, the rising cost of education and the current economy, according to a Jan. 13 announcement by the school’s sponsor.
Our Lady of Victory became the second Catholic high school in the archdiocese whose closing was announced that week. (Two days earlier, St. Pius V Girls High School in the Bronx was included in a list of parish schools that are to close in June, as part of the strategic plan to strengthen Catholic education in the archdiocese.)
Our Lady of Victory, a private, girls’ school, is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy Mid-Atlantic Community. The community’s announcement said that the administration and staff, as well as the school’s board of trustees, had worked consistently over the past several years to increase enrollment, without achieving success.
Sister Patricia Wolf, R.S.M., president of Our Lady of Victory Academy, said in a statement, “In the past three years, the economy has impacted overall enrollment. Schools such as Our Lady of Victory are tuition-driven. Lower enrollments provide fewer resources to support the educational program.”
The school currently has 280 students enrolled, and has a capacity for 400 students. “The freshman and sophomore classes are currently under-enrolled at 60 and 61 respectively, and projections for the next two years indicate further decreases,” Sister Patricia said.
The school, which was founded in Tarrytown in 1945, moved to its Dobbs Ferry location in 1961.
Sister Joan Agro, O.P., principal of Our Lady of Victory, said, “The administration of the academy is prepared to do all that is possible to make this a smooth transition especially for the students. All that is held dear in the traditions of Our Lady of Victory Academy will continue for current students.” The school administration will provide support to students and assist in identifying educational options for their remaining high school years, she said. The school also plans to schedule events throughout the year to honor the legacy of the school.
“Our dedicated faculty will continue to provide the strong religious formation and academic program that has been a hallmark of Our Lady of Victory Academy,” she said.
