Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Through hard work and determination, a small group of parents has put together a new Catholic school in Framingham.
As Catholic schools in the Metro West area and around the country close more frequently, Chesterton Academy Of The Immaculata was an answer to families in the area looking for an inexpensive, coeducational option.
Headmaster Edward Caughlan said the school has been in the works for two years, and that the willpower of these families is what really brought the whole plan together.
“So affordable, co-ed, Catholic high school is a little bit harder to find these days because some other schools have been closing, so it’s really about a grassroots effort of parents that want something special for their kids,” said Caughlan.
The new Catholic school will open on September 2nd, but families have been putting in some early work around the building.
One of the mothers who helped put the plan together, Lynn Minasian-Somers, was there cleaning up with her son. She spoke about how the parents got the project started during a break from painting the school's bathrooms.
“[The parents] all got to know each other through looking, and we all just merged and said, ‘let’s do this together,’” said Lynn.
Chesterton Academy is a worldwide institution that has opened 70 school locations from Japan to Connecticut in the past few years.
With only six families signed on to start the 2025 school year so far, Caughlan said it could be a positive way to start.
“Another thing that kind of sets us apart is small class size, and we’re really starting with one class, with a cohort,” said Caughlan.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.