Bronx Catholic high school saved from closure after Bally's Foundation purchases land from nuns
THROGGS NECK, The Bronx (WABC) -- Prayers have been answered at an all-girls Catholic high school in the Bronx.
Preston High was in jeopardy of closing at the end of the year, but thanks to a major benefactor, the school has been saved.
Attorney General Letitia James brokered a deal between Preston High School and Bally's Foundation to keep the doors open.
An announcement back in February said Preston would close after 75 years at the end of this school year.
The school board of trustees cited declining enrollment, finances, and aging infrastructure for the decision, which came as a shock to students and their families.
Preston High, in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx, is an all-girls Catholic school founded in 1947 in a former mansion. It sits on the water, flanked by two bridges.
Earlier this year, the nuns who own the property announced they were shutting down the school. Families were devastated but clearly not defeated.
Bally's Foundation agreed to buy the property for $8.5 million from the Sisters of Divine Compassion, then lease it back to the school for a dollar a year for the next 25 years.
"God works in mysterious ways. And if Bally's was the way we are, we're more than happy to take it," said former student Shirley Capa Perez.
Preston is filled with legacy.
Susan and her sisters went here in the 70s. Her daughters in the 2000s. Now the torch will be passed down to her 10-year-old granddaughter.
"It's more than just a school. It's a family. And it grows people into strong young women," Michelle Keenan Butler said.
The troubling irony is not lost here that the nuns would not give the property to the school, but a casino will.
Bally's is also committing another $1 million to help with much-needed renovations.
The chairman of Bally's issued this statement in part, saying, "Our commitment to Preston is not about business, it's about doing what's right."
"I just cried because it's like we're home and this is going to be our home," Assistant Principal Kelly Keane said.
After 25 years, the school will have the option to renew its lease or even purchase it, if they are able to raise enough money in the next quarter of a century.
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