ST. LOUIS–Rosati-Kain High School will stay open with a new name after a group of supporters have reached a lease agreement with the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Organizers announced the deal for the new Rosati-Kain Academy in a press release Sunday calling it a “Christmas Miracle.”

The agreement comes three months after the school learned about the Archdiocese’s plans to close it and St. Mary’s at the end of the academic year.

St. Joseph Educational Ministries will be the schools Catholic sponsor. The organization, founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cardondelet, also sponsor Fontbonne University, St. Joseph’s Academy, Avila University in Kansas City and St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis and Indianapolis.

The multi-year lease allowing for current use of all current school and parking facilities, as well as the Catholic sponsorship agreement with the St. Joseph Educational Ministries were the last steps in establishing Rosati-Kain Academy. It elected an initial board of governance in October and filed for its tax-exempt status in November.

“This is a milestone moment that launches a strong, bright future for the Rosati-Kain community and for the St. Louis region. We are elated to be able to assure our students, our families, and our teachers and staff that Rosati-Kain will remain open,” said Rosati-Kain Academy Board Chair Cynthia Goudy.

Hundreds of volunteers helped organize a path forward and completed the steps to help for a new independent school. 

"It's inspiring to see the community rally around Rosati-Kain," said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. "Our schools are anchors for our neighborhoods, and I am thrilled that Rosati-Kain will continue to serve a diverse student body in the coming years."

The St. Joseph Educational Ministries says Rosati Kain is a natural addition to its community.

Rosati-Kain’s enrollment dropped to 188 students for the 2022-2023 school year after rumors of the school’s imminent closure, according to a press release. Between 2014-2022, it saw an average of 275 students a year.

The Rosati-Kain Academy has set an initial fund-raising goal of $5 million for operations and a $5 million goal in endowments to supplement financial aid funding and keep the school economically accessible to students. Rosati-Kain says it is the most diverse all-girls high school in the region. Fifty-five percent of its students are Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American or Multiracial.