Cardinal O’Hara High School announces freeze on tuition increases for 2021-22 school year

Prepared to welcome new students are, from left, Marissa Taylor ’23, Maxwell Hendershot ’24, Julia Harrington ’23, Wilson Hendershot ’23. Photo courtesy of Cardinal O’Hara High School.

TONAWANDA — As students and their families continue to navigate the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Cardinal O’Hara High School announced that it will not increase tuition for the 2021-2022 academic year. The private school took this step noting that any increase would exacerbate economic challenges that many students and their families are facing.

“We recognize the increased financial challenges that our families are facing and hope to mitigate some of those struggles by placing a freeze on tuition increases for the coming school year. It is our hope that this plan will reduce the additional burden on people who are sacrificing so much to allow their children to continue to take part in the outstanding, faith-based, educational program at Cardinal O’Hara High School. The board of trustees agreed that it was vital that we approach next year’s budget with the mindset that we are not going to increase tuition costs,” said Principal Mary Holzerland ’70.

The school’s board of trustees approved this measure at the February board meeting.  

“The O’Hara family is special, and we want to help them get through these difficult times. To this end the board of trustees voted to hold current tuition rates for the 2021-2022 school year,” said board member Jay Holler, retired superintendent of Tonawanda Schools. “Hopefully, this decision will allow all our students to continue and open the door to assist the many new families planning to attend COHS in 2021-2022.”

Cardinal O’Hara High School is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school established in 1961. Founded on the Franciscan beliefs of faith, knowledge and tradition. Cardinal O’Hara High School continues its mission to educate students from diverse faiths and backgrounds from the Western New York Community and beyond.