By Paula Green
Vincentian Academy in McCandless was recently torn down. Once the debris from the rumble was removed, all that was left were memories. When Vincentian High School opened in 1932, it was a school for young women aspiring for religious life. To keep up with changing times, the school went co-ed in 1973. The school partnered with Duquesne University in 1995, but that union dissolved in 2010. Unfortunately, after 88 years, this private school, owned by the Western Province of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, closed in June 2020 due to declining enrollment.
Mount Alvernia High School, located on the grounds of the Franciscan Sisters of Millvale,
opened in 1936. The school closed in 2011 due to declining enrollment as well. In 2022, the Mount Alvernia campus, including the school and a chapel, was sold to a real estate developer.
Quigley Academy was a Roman Catholic School in Baden, Beaver County. Opened in 1967, it was the first and only regional Catholic high school in Beaver County. Diminishing registrations forced its closure in May 2020. Provident Charter School now occupies the building where Quigley was housed.
Sewickley High School traced its roots back to 1834, when it was known as the “yellow brick” school. The school closed in 1956 when the Quaker Valley School District was formed. The building was converted to Quaker Valley Junior High, then changed to Quaker Valley Middle School in 1997. The Sewickley High School name still remains on the front entrance of the school.
Another school that thrived in the region was Schenley High School in Oakland. Founded on October 2, 1916, it was the first Pittsburgh public school to cost over $1 million to construct. In 1998, a pool and a gym were added as part of a $9.4 million addition. Sadly, Schenley encountered asbestos issues, which were far too costly to repair. The school, referred to as The Pride of Pittsburgh, permanently closed in June 2008. The building was sold to a developer who converted the building into luxury apartments.
In 2011, Pittsburgh Public School voted to close some of their other institutions. Oliver High
School on the Northside was shuttered, and the students were relocated to the Pittsburgh Perry High School. The Oliver building remain opened and is now the district special education offices.
After being opened for 100 years Peabody High School in East Liberty ended closed. The Barack Obama Academy of International Studies 6-12 relocated to the building in the 2012–2013 school year. Langley, in Sherdan, was another place that folded. The student body was relocated to Brashear High School. Pittsburgh Public Schools leaders are considering closing 16 more schools as part of a proposed consolidation plan, dropping them to 40 schools.
In August, Pittsburgh Technical College (PTC) in Oakdale closed due declining enrollment and financial troubles. On June 5, Triangle Tech, a technical school with six locations in Pennsylvania, announced it would close all its schools by next year. The school cited the pandemic, industry changes, government regulations, and declining enrollment as reasons for the closure. The proposed closing dates are February 7, 2025, or later for the DuBois, Greensburg, Pittsburgh, and Sunbury locations and May 30, 2025, or later for the Chambersburg and Bethlehem locations.
Even though it is heartbreaking to see these fine institutions close, there are plenty of fabulous schools in our region that are ready, willing, and able to educate their students.
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