Siena Catholic Academy to Close

Siena Catholic Academy in Brighton, which served students from throughout the Rochester region since it opened in 1993 as a diocesan middle school, will close permanently at the conclusion of the current academic year. The school has experienced years of declining enrollment. From nearly 300 students a decade ago, enrollment has dropped to approximately 130 registered students, an insufficient number to cover costs of operating the school going forward.

“Please know that this decision, made in consultation with our diocesan School Board, Presbyteral Council and diocesan Stewardship Council, is most difficult and made only after very careful and prolonged study and a careful review of available funding,” Bishop Salvatore R. Matano, Bishop of Rochester, and Mr. James Tauzel, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, wrote in a May 1, 2020 letter to parents.

The Aquinas Institute, Bishop Kearney, Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women, and McQuaid Jesuit schools, each of which offers sixth through eighth grade middle school programs, have agreed to honor the same net tuition for Siena families who wish to enroll this fall. Additionally, Holy Cross School in Charlotte, Saint Joseph School in Penfield and Seton Catholic School in Brighton offer a sixth grade and would welcome families of sixth graders. It is hoped that the families “will make the decision to select one of these schools, knowing so well, through their experience at Siena, the spiritual and academic treasure that is a Catholic school education.”

The Diocese of Rochester extended its “gratitude to the families, Mr. David Carapella (Principal) and the dedicated teachers and staff who strived daily to make Siena Catholic Academy a nurturing environment for every student.”