All-Boys' St. Laurence High School Announces Plans to Go Co-Ed

BURBANK, IL -- The St. Laurence High School board of directors announced plans to transition to a co-ed Catholic high school over the next five years. The announcement comes on the heels of the recent decision by the all-girls’ Queen of Peace High School, located next door to St. Laurence in Burbank, to close its doors at the end of the current school year.

In a letter to parents and students, George Ruebenson ‘66, chair of the St. Laurence High School board of directors, and school president Joseph Martinez ‘99, said Queen of Peace’s decision to close “accelerated” the Catholic boys high school’s strategic plan to review the co-ed option in 2020.

Ruebenson and Martinez also cited declining enrollment at the Chicago-area’s single-gender Catholic high schools as factoring into future plans to consider turning St. Laurence into a co-ed high school.

“This is not a merger or a consolidation. Our leadership team has worked hard to create a very specific culture at St. Laurence, one that has resulted in tremendous success in our academics and athletics. Moving forward, St. Laurence will be led by the same individuals who helped us reach the level of achievement we experience today. We will operate as St. Laurence High School, part of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers.”

St. Laurence High School said it would welcome all current Queen of Peace students to enroll at the boys’ high school for the 2017-18 academic year. So that Peace students may continue the single-gender education they signed up for, girls who transfer from Queen of Peace will remain in single-gender classrooms.

>>> Queen of Peace High School Announces Closing After 55 Years

The high school will not be accepting girls from the Class of 2021 who took the Queen of Peace High School entrance examination in January.

Rubenson and Martinez also outlined a “stepwise” approach to transitioning St. Laurence into a co-ed Catholic high school over the next five years, recruiting both male and female students for the Class of 2022. Until then, St. Laurence will form an “ad hoc committee” comprised of board members, industry experts and administrative leaders from other school that have undergone similar transitions.

The letter also reminded parents and students that St. Laurence High School would inherit none of the debt from Queen of Peace High School.

Parents of students at both Catholic high schools are invited to hear more about these plans and ask questions at town halls scheduled for later this week at St. Laurence High School, 5556 W. 77th St., Burbank.

•Town Hall for parents of current and incoming St. Laurence students: February 16 at 6 and 7 p.m.
•Town Hall for parents of current Queen of Peace students: February 17 at 6 and 7 p.m.

Read the St. Laurence's full letter.