Jesuit High School receives $1M donation to aid impending inclusion of girls
A board member at Jesuit High School pledged a $1 million gift to the school to support its transition from an all-boys school to a coed model.
The Catholic private school announced earlier this month that it would begin to accept girls in the fall of 2027, marking a historic shift since the high school’s founding as single-sex college preparatory school in 1963.
The “transformational” donation comes from Billy (a 1998 alumnus) and Jessaca Downing, according a Wednesday news release from the school. The unconditional and unrestricted gift will be used to improve campus infrastructure, expand athletic and extracurricular programs for incoming female students and implement AI-supported teaching tools.
“As Jesuit evolves to welcome both young men and women, Jessaca and I want to help ensure that the school continues to lead with excellence — rooted in faith, guided by discernment, and bold in innovation,” Billy Downing stated in the release.
In an Oct. 26 letter to Jesuit High families, board chair Kelly Brothers wrote that the decision was made following “deep research and discernment” by the board of trustees to ensure the school’s long-term sustainability. He also said that the board’s decision is “final.”
Brothers cited changing demographics in Sacramento, low enrollment and the need for the school to adapt in the face of challenges.
There are fewer Catholic families and feeder schools in the region and fewer families seeking single-sex education, Brothers said, noting that many Catholic schools across the country have closed since the pandemic. A report from the National Catholic Education Association shows that the issue stretches back decades — attendance to Catholic schools has plummeted 70% in the past 60 years, resulting in hundreds of closed or consolidated schools.
Low enrollment and weak alumni giving has led to faculty salary freezes and budget deficits.
“Like many similar Jesuit schools across California and the U.S., we must adapt to continue offering transformative education rooted in our Ignatian tradition,” Brothers wrote. “It’s hard for someone as devoted as I am to believe there is less demand for this great experience, but the numbers don’t lie, and we must adjust.”
The change has been met with resistance from parents and alumni who say they want to see Jesuit traditions preserved. Organizers of a campaign to “preserve Jesuit’s legacy” have touted that they have amassed $3 million in pledges to maintain the high school’s single-sex model. Those pledges commitments were gathered via a Google form.
