Nativity School of Worcester will be open to girls next year
WORCESTER - The Nativity School of Worcester will soon be getting more students.
The only tuition-free middle school for underserved boys in central Massachusetts will now open its door to girls in the summer of 2024.
The news comes after a successful $20 million fundraising campaign.
School President Tom McKenney told WBZ-TV they want middle school girls to have the same access to the educational opportunities they provide to boys.
"It's kind of a historic time for us as we've seen our young men really develop into leaders in the city. We're now excited to open our doors so girls can also become great leaders like we've seen our men," McKenney said. "There's definitely a pretty big need out there."
The Nativity School just celebrated their twentieth anniversary. McKenney says the school's smaller class sizes, extended school days, and summer programs have all contributed to their students' success.
"Ninety-nine percent of our grads have completed high school which is well above the 80% average from students from under resourced communities," McKenney told WBZ.
The school will keep its same sex model for classes, while integrating coed activities and sports.
"A lot of our primary classes like math and language arts, will be single sex but will also have opportunities for girls and boys to collaborate in clubs, extra curriculars, and athletics. We think it will really be the best of both worlds," the principal said.
Mentorship is provided to students, once they graduate, through high school, college, and beyond.
The Julie Power Girls Division at the Nativity School will welcome around 35 young women entering fifth and sixth grade for the first year.
Adriana Allen has seen the positive impact of the all-scholarship education on her own son.
"He is just on a road to success and that's something that I'm very proud of, but not sure he would have been on the same path had we not come to Nativity," she told WBZ.
Her nine-year-old daughter Adysen will now apply to attend the girls division next year.
"Here she is in fourth grade going to fifth grade and the announcement was made, so I feel like it's destiny," Allen said.
Adysen is already at a ninth grade reading level. She can't wait to follow in her brother's footsteps.
"I like reading non-fiction books because you can learn stuff from them," she said. But she's not excited about wearing a uniform. "Hopefully, it's a good uniform."
There are roughly 600 girls just in fifth grade from under resourced communities in Worcester that would be eligible to attend.
You must live in the city and have a household income at or below the city's fuel assistance level to apply.
The school hopes to use the money raised to expand or buy a larger building for both the boys and the girls in the future.