Presentation Academy

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Front entrance to Presentation Academy

Presentation Academy is a college-preparatory all-girls Catholic high school, located just south of Downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It was started in 1831 by Mother Catherine Spalding, superior of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. It is the oldest school in continuous operation in Louisville.

It moved into its current building at Fourth and Breckenridge in 1893, and converted from an elementary school to a secondary school in 1945. The building features a distinctive Richardsonian Romanesque tower, which was rebuilt after a fire in 1977. It was designed by D.X. Murphy, who also designed the famous twin-spired clubhouse at Churchill Downs.^[1] The building was listed in 2004 as one of Louisvillian's Ten favorite, according to the Courier-Journal. Generations of students have signed their names to the interior walls of the tower.

A long-standing tradition allows only Seniors to use the front staircase. Famous alumni include stage actress Mary Anderson. In 2005, students arrived from over 85 Kentucky and Southern Indiana ZIP codes. Tuition in 2005 was $6,600.^[2]

Enrollment was consistently around 800 students during the 1950s and 1960s, but by 1993 it had dropped to just 230 students, and the school was over $760,000 in debt. It was announced that the doors would close in May 1995. However, a successful grassroots campaign by students and parents paid off the debt, and the Sisters of Charity relinquished control of the school to nearby Spalding University, and enrollment nearly doubled initially, but there were just 345 students in 2006. The school became indepedent again in 2004, after becoming financially stable with a $6.2 million budget, and created its own Board of Trustees. Some facilities and resources were still shared with Spalding, including a program allowing Presentation students to attend college classes in their Senior years. ^[3]

Since Presentation Academy is located near the heart of Downtown Louisville, the students have after-school access to 4th Street Live!, the Main Library, and various Spalding University resources. Field trips are usually taken on foot, such as to The Courier-Journal Building, the Louisville Hall of Justice, the Muhammad Ali Center, and the Frazier International History Museum.

The school currently uses a gym built in 1938 and owned by Spalding. In 2006 The school purchased a 22,000 square foot building across the street, which was originally a pharmacy. A planned use for the building is as a new gym and auditorium. Other recent improvements include a 125-seat chapel and a choral center.^[4]

[edit] References

^ Poynter, Chris. "Presenting your favorite Louisville buildings", Courier-Journal, 2004-11-14, p. 1L.
^ Kenning, Chris. "Presentation Academy hires president", Courier-Journal, 2005-06-15, p. 1B.
^ Kenning, Chris. "Presentation ready to run itself without Spalding aid", Courier-Journal, 2004-01-14, p. 1B.
^ Edelen, Sheryl. "Nearby building bought", Courier-Journal, 2006-09-27.