Catherine McAuley High School (Brooklyn)

Catherine McAuley High School was a small, all-girls', private, Catholic high school in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. Founded by the Brooklyn Sisters of Mercy in 1942, it is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. It remains the only all-girls' Catholic high school in Brooklyn or Queens to have earned the Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education. McAuley closed at the end of the 2012-2013 school year. The closing was the result of declining enrollment due to changing demographics, the increasing number of charter schools, rising costs, and the economic downturn. The final commencement took place on Saturday, June 1, 2013.BackgroundCatherine McAuley High School is dedicated to "preparing young Christian women for life." The school was named for the woman who founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland after she inherited the equivalent of 1 million dollars from a former employer. She dedicated her life and her Sisters to serving the poor, sick and uneducated.The school's original name was Catherine McAuley "Commercial" High School, reflecting the fact that from the 1940s through the 1960s, most graduates went directly to the workforce after high school. Since the 1980s most McAuley graduates have continued their education, and the success of its college preparatory curriculum is evidenced by annual graduation and college acceptance rates near 100%. McAuley adheres to the New York State Curriculum guidelines and grants an amazing amount of financial aid to many students. Numerous after school activities exist so young women can explore their hidden talents and pursue areas of interest.