While single sex education has become a thing of the past for many, some are still clinging to these traditional ways. Sweet Briar College, a 114 year old private women’s school in Virginia, has found itself with dwindling enrollment. They were slated to close as a result of financial difficulties, but now they are going to remain open after a legal settlement.
While school officials have wanted to close it, alumnae and friends have been fighting to keep it open. The agreement still has to be approved by a Circuit Court in Amgerst County and a hearing before Judge Jamed Updike is set for Monday.
In March, college officials said that the college would close on August 25th. In 2014, 47 women’s colleges in the US and Canada closed, according to The Women’s College Coalition. The agreement now requires the college’s backers to deliver $12 million in donations for the 2015-2016 operational year.
As Sarah Clement, chair of Saving Sweet Briar, said “Today’s settlement is an answer to the prayers of many and a powerful validation of fighting for what you believe in.”