Maybe it was divine intervention but a day after the announcement that His Holiness, Pope Francis, had died, in a mayor victory for the Throggs Neck Catholic community in the East Bronx, Preston High School, the Sisters of the Divine Compassion, and Bally’s Foundation of North America announced on Tuesday, April 8, that the parties had finalized an agreement that will ensure Preston High School remains open and thriving for years to come.

 

The deal follows an impasse despite prior protests, letters, negotiations, a video response by the Sisters, and more recently an electrifying hearing, hosted by New York Attorney General Letitia James, held at Lehman High School in the East Bronx on April 8, during which alumni, students, parents, teachers, elected officials, past school board members and more gave testimony in front of a packed auditorium. Testimony was interrupted on serveral occasions by cheers, whistles, standing ovations, and thunderous applause. Click here, here, here, here and here for some short videos of the event.

 

The Sisters have owned the property on which the school is built since 1947, while Bally’s Foundation, a charitable nonprofit organization, is linked to Bally’s Corporation, the operator of Bally’s Golf Links in Throggs Neck’s Ferry Point, the site of a planned casino.

 

Preston High School is an all-girls Catholic school that has served the Bronx community for 75 years. In late February, the Sisters of the Divine Compassion announced their plans to close the school and sell the property at the end of the 2025 academic year, citing financial hardship and an aging religious population. It followed news of several other Catholic school closures in recent years in the borough.

 

Among the elected officials who testified at the hearing were Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, City Council Majority Leader Amanda Farías (C.D. 18), an alumna of the school, and City Council Member Kristy Marmorato (C.D. 13) in whose district the school is located. Gibson, Farías, Assembly Member Michael Benedetto (A.D. 82) and State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez (S.D. 34) welcomed news of the deal. We have reached out to Marmorato for comment.

 

“Preston High School is a pillar of the Bronx community that has educated generations of young women and today I am proud to announce that the school will stay open for years to come,” said James. “I want to thank all the students, teachers, parents, alumni, and elected officials who submitted testimony to my office and advocated to keep the school open. Today’s announcement would not have been possible without their relentless advocacy and leadership. Preston High School raises young women to become strong leaders, and I am thrilled that many more generations will benefit from this treasured school.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Bally’s Foundation officials said the foundation will purchase the school’s property in Throggs Neck for $8.5 million and immediately lease it back to the school for $1 per year over the next 25 years. They said the foundation will also contribute additional funds toward essential facility upgrades.

 

Soo Kim, chairman of Bally’s Corporation, on behalf of the Bally’s Foundation, said in part,  “We are deeply grateful to the Sisters of the Divine Compassion for their partnership and vision in securing a future for Preston High School. This agreement is about more than preserving a school, it’s about affirming the vital role that education, opportunity, and community play in shaping lives.” As reported, Bally’s Golf Links was previously run by the Trump Organization until the lease for the City-owned property was taken over by Bally’s around September 2023.

 

The Bally’s statement continued, “Preston has been a cornerstone in The Bronx for nearly 75 years, opening doors for generations of young women. The Bally’s Foundation is proud to stand with Preston’s students, families, and educators in ensuring that legacy continues. Our commitment to Preston is not about business; it’s about doing what’s right. Supporting institutions like this is central to our belief in being a trusted, long-term partner to the communities we serve.”

For her part, Gibson said, “I am thrilled to hear that an agreement has been reached to keep Preston High School open. At a time when we’ve seen the heartbreaking closure of several Catholic schools in our borough and across New York City, this outcome is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when a community comes together.”

 

As reported, a number of former Catholic schools have already closed in The Bronx in recent years, despite opposition from local students, teachers and parents. Norwood News asked the attorney general for comment as to why Preston seemed to receive such prime focus when other schools seemingly didn’t. Preston is located in Bronx Community District 10 (CD10), encompassing the wealthier Bronx neighborhoods of Co-op City, City Island, Throggs Neck, Country Club, Zerega, Westchester Square, Pelham Bay and Waterbury Lasalle.

 

According to datausa, in 2023, with a population of 128,000 people, the median household income in Bronx CD10 was $70,575. By contrast, St. Brendan’s School in Norwood, which closed in 2023 and is now the site of a Charter School, is located in Bronx Community District 7, which incorporates Bedford Park, Fordham, Jerome Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Mosholu Parkway, Norwood and University Heights. According to datausa, in 2023, with a population of 133,000 people, the median household income in Bronx CD7 was substantially lower than that of CD10 at $45,545.

The borough president added in part, “Thank you to Attorney General Letitia James, the Charities Bureau, parents, students, educators, advocates, alumni, elected colleagues and the Bally’s Foundation—whose generous support played a critical role in saving Preston High School. Our collective voices made this happen. This is more than just a win for Preston—it’s a win for the Bronx and for every young person who dreams of a bright future.”

 

Meanwhile, Farías, Class of 2007, said, “I commend the Bally’s Foundation for their commitment to Preston High School and to the broader mission of expanding educational opportunity for young women in the Bronx. Their decision to ensure long-term stability for Preston through this landmark agreement reflects a deep understanding of the vital role the school plays in our community.”

 

She added, “By securing Preston‘s future and supporting necessary capital improvements, the Bally’s Foundation is not only preserving an institution, they are investing in the continued empowerment of generations to come. I am grateful for their partnership in working with my office and leadership in helping us protect this legacy.”

 

Following previous protests at Preston, amid news of the impending closure, Norwood News had reached out to the Archdiocese of New York and a spokesperson said on April 1, “We are aware that there has been much discussion about efforts to preserve Preston High School, and we commend the spirit and dedication of those involved.”

The statement continued, “However, as a private, independent institution, decisions regarding the future of Preston High School are the sole responsibility of its Board of Trustees. These decisions are not influenced by the Archdiocese of New York or the Office of the Superintendent of Schools per the policy governing secondary schools within the archdiocese.”

 

Norwood News had previously reached out to the City’s department of education to inform them of some of the other prior then-impending Catholic school closures in the borough to see if any agreement could be reached to salvage the schools but it was seemingly to no avail.

 

Bally officials said the agreement guarantees that Preston High School will continue operations at its existing site, avoiding closure, disruption, or relocation, and that it reinforces the school’s longstanding mission to empower young women through academic excellence, faith, and service.

 

They said the deal was made possible through the leadership of the attorney general, who they said convened and facilitated discussions in recent weeks, including the recent public hearing. Big names in the entertainment world in the form of former alumna, Jennifer Lopez, even weighed in to show support for her former high school. Bally officials said the agreement also reflects the advocacy and collaboration of elected officials at every level of government who they said rallied behind Preston’s students and community.

James, who, it was recently reported is the subject of a investigative probe by the Trump administration into her housing arrangements, said the lease gives Preston the option to purchase the property and a right of first refusal if the Bally’s Foundation seeks to sell the property in the future. Moreover, she said the Bally’s Foundation has agreed to fund up to $1 million in capital improvements for the school and to cover up to $600,000 in legal and closing costs that are associated with the process.

 

In addition, she said the Sisters agreed to establish independent governance of Preston that requires them to work with the school to establish it as an independent Catholic school as acceptable to the Archdiocese of New York. They also agreed to help establish an independent board of trustees by appointing, with OAG approval, trustees to the board of trustees who are not affiliated with the Sisters of the Divine Compassion or employed at Preston High School; and immediately relinquish all but one seat on the schools’ board of trustees, and give up that seat once the school is fully independent.

 

The attorney general thanked all involved for working together with her office to find what she said was a financial and practical resolution to keeping the school open. She said the matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Peggy Farber, Assistant Attorney General William Wang, and Section Chief Emily Stern, all of the Charities Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Karin Kunstler Goldman and Bureau Chief James Sheehan.

 

The Charities Bureau is part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy. The public hearing was led by Operations team members Andrea Rua, Michael Fasullo, Sally Rifkin, Rouselle Ligon, and Wayne Collins, all under the supervision of the director of strategic planning, Ryan Doyle.

We asked the attorney general for comment on the federal probe into her housing arrangements and will share any updates we receive. James recently told Spectrum News NY1. “The allegations are baseless. The allegations are nothing more than a revenge tour.” The attorney general previously led an investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump’s finances amid allegations he had overvalued his properties/assets. Both Trump and James deny any wrongdoing.

 

AOL reported that the attorney general said Trump’s case regarding his alleged overvaluation of his assets remains pending on appeal and that his $454 million penalty judgment continues to accrue interest.