Lewiston, Maine — After careful consideration and a thorough assessment of enrollment and
fundraising progress, the Saint Dominic Regional High School Board of Directors has voted not
to open the school this fall.
In recent months, dozens of students enrolled in anticipation of the school’s opening,
underscoring both the enduring strength of the St. Dom’s legacy and the growing desire among
families for stable, student-centered educational options at a time when rising financial
pressures and difficult decisions are reshaping the education landscape.
The Board unanimously determined it could not move forward without securing the full financial resources necessary to responsibly build out the second and third floors of the Peck Building and ensure the school’s long-term sustainability. In the past few days, the Board explored another site that required no build-out and could have ensured at least two years of operations, but learned today that the offer was not accepted.
“While we came close to reaching our initial enrollment goal and were deeply encouraged by
the number of families who stepped forward, we did not achieve the financial benchmark
required to both complete the necessary renovations in the Peck Building and sustain the
school for the next four years,” said Sean Andrews, Chair of the Saint Dominic Regional High
School Board of Directors. “This was an incredibly difficult decision.”
“We’d like to publicly thank Jason Levesque, who has gone well above and beyond in supporting our effort,” Andrews said. “Without Jason’s vision, energy, and entrepreneurship at the historic Peck Building, we would not have had a base of operations through this time. We know those two floors will be home to new business that will support growth in downtown Lewiston. We’d also like thank Hebert Construction and Platz Associates who were instrumental for their countless hours to get the design and build-out plans in a short time.”
“St. Dom’s has always represented tradition, opportunity, belonging, and a belief in the power
of education to shape lives,” said Dr. Claude Berube, Head of School. “While we are
disappointed by this outcome, we are grateful to the families, students, alumni, and supporters
who believed in this school and worked so hard to bring it to life. Their commitment speaks
volumes about the legacy of St. Dom’s. The members of the Board of Directors were tireless in their efforts and did everything possible to make this happen. Supporters like Don Dion also offered $1 million in scholarships over four years to keep our tuition affordable.”
All enrollment fees collected will be returned to the families. The Board will meet next week to ensure a responsible, transparent, and orderly process for the return of unexpended donations.