This Miami school has taught only girls for almost 60 years. Now it wants a boys school.
Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart made its name as the only single-sex experience for the entire grade school education, teaching girls from Pre-K all the way to 12th grade since 1961.
Now, the Coconut Grove Catholic school is moving into an untapped market: An all-boys school serving grades Pre-K to fifth grade.
Carrollton’s head master, Olen Kalkus, and chair of the board of trustees, Sheldon Anderson, announced in an email obtained by the Miami Herald that the school is negotiating to purchase a three-acre lot at 2167 South Bayshore Drive, currently home to Villa Woodbine, an event space. The lot is about two miles north of the school’s waterfront campuses.
“For many years, Carrollton families and alumnae have requested that Carrollton consider offering Sacred Heart education to the sons of Carrollton families, particularly for pre-school through 5th grade,” the email read. “The Carrollton Board of Trustees has considered this possibility for several years, but the timing and the availability of a suitable property had to all be aligned.”
The boys’ school will have its own distinct name and operating budget and will be funded through tuition, directed fundraising and financing, according to the email. There is no plan to make a coed school, however both schools will be governed by one Board of Trustees.
Carrollton does not plan to extend the boys’ school beyond fifth grade. The school has commitments for donations from families longing for a school for boys, the email read.
The email insisted that the all-girls experience would not be impacted, nor would founding a boys’ school affect tuition.
“Although shared opportunities may arise, we remain committed to delivering Carrollton’s unique program for girls, consistent with the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Schools,” the email read. It added that should shared expenses arise, both schools would benefit.
This story was originally published October 31, 2018 at 3:30 PM.