| St. Dominic Savio Preparatory High School | |
| Established: | 1958 |
| Closed: | 2007 |
| Streetaddress: | 145 Byron Street |
| City: | East Boston |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Zipcode: | 02128 |
| Country: | United States |
| Schooltype: | High school |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic, Salesians of Don Bosco |
| Colors: | Red and White followed by Maroon and gold |
| Motto: | Potius Mori Quam Foedari |
| Motto Translation: | Death before Dishonor |
| Patron: | St. Dominic Savio |
| Yearbook: | The Spartan |
| Founder: | Fr. Joseph Caselli, S.D.B. |
| Status: | Defunct |
| Principal: | Anders Peterson (2007) |
| Team Name: | Spartans |
| Sports: | Football, Baseball, Cross Country, Basketball, Hockey, Track |
| District: | Archdiocese of Boston |
| Newspaper: | The Spartan Forum |
| Ratio: | 1:14 (2001) |
| Grades: | 9–12 |
| Gender: | Male only (1958–1993), coeducational (1993–2007) |
| Nickname: | Dom Savio |
| Campus Type: | Urban |
| Website: | http://www.savioprep.org/ |
St. Dominic Savio Preparatory High School, formerly St. Dominic Savio High School, was a Roman Catholic high school located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The school was founded in 1958 and closed in 2007.
The school was founded as an all-boys school in 1958 by the Salesians of Don Bosco, a Catholic religious order.[1] [2] Alumnus Paul Abbott recalled a day when the student body voted on whether the school should add football or hockey as a new sport:
It was 1970, the Bobby Orr era in Boston, so we chose hockey.
In 1993, the Salesians of Don Bosco closed Savio, but an alumni group led by Peter J. Bagley redesigned an education strategy, convert to a coeducational preparatory school and leased a portion of the property.
From 1995 to 2005, Savio Prep's enrollment grew to over 400 co-ed students. In 2003, a former athletic director pleaded guilty to molesting three female athletes, and in 2006 a former wrestling coach pleaded guilty to raping two students and hazing three others. Enrollment declined and finances became tight.
At the end of the 2006–2007 school year, the Salesian owners of the building did not renew the lease, citing the deteriorating condition of the building and lack of funds to repair it.[3] Concerned parents and alumni began meeting to discuss ways to keep the school open. The group called themselves "Save Our Savio," but could never muster enough funding or support to find the school a new location. It was clear that 2006–2007 had been the last St. Dominic Savio school year.
The building now houses the Edward W. Brooke Charter School. An addition has been built on the site of the former Salesian residence.[4]
| Year | Enrollment | Religious Employees | Lay Employees | TotalEmployees | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s–1980s | 440 | 9 | n/a | n/a | |
| 2000 | 381[5] | 4 | 39 | 43 | |
| 2001 | 400[6] | 4 | 45 | 49 | |
| 2002 | 392 | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| 2003 | n/a | 3 | n/a | n/a | |
| 2004 | n/a | 1 | n/a | n/a | |
| 2007 | 165 | 1 | n/a | n/a |
| Director | Years | Headmaster/Principal | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fr. Joseph Caselli, S.D.B. | 1958–? | unknown | 1958–74 |
| unknown | ?–1969 | ||
| Fr. Albert Sofia, S.D.B.[7] | 1969–72 | ||
| Fr. Albert Sofia, S.D.B. | 1971–73 | Fr. Joseph Santa Bibiana, S.D.B. | 1971–73 |
| unknown | 1974 | Fr. Donald Zarkoski, S.D.B. | 1974–81 |
| Fr. Earl R. Bissonnette, S.D.B. | 1975-1980 | ||
| Fr. Jonathan D. Parks, S.D.B[8] | 1981–98 | ||
| unknown | 1993–2000 | ||
| Edward Minor | 2000–01 | William P. Sullivan | 2000–01 |
| unknown | 2001–07 | unknown | 2001–06 |
| Anders Peterson | 2006–07 |