Villa Maria Academy

Villa Maria Academy is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie.HistoryVilla Maria was established in 1892 as an all-girls school by the Sisters of St. Joseph. It is the oldest Catholic high school in Erie. It was originally at 8th and Liberty streets before being moved in 1954. The original academy buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.The school became coeducational in 1989. On January 8, 2009 Villa announced a merger with Cathedral Preparatory School, but the schools maintain their separate campuses and identities. "Villa-Prep" is run by a single Board of Directors, whose members include the principals of the respective schools.Villa returned to all-girls, but boys who were attending could stay until graduation. In the 2012/2013 school year, Villa became all-girls.