PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- An all-girl Roman Catholic high school in Portland is going to drop its religious affiliation in the new year.
Officials announced Tuesday that Catherine McAuley High School, which was founded in 1969 by the Sisters of Mercy, will become an independent school on July 1.
McAuley board chairwoman Heidi Osborn and Jacqueline Marie Kieslich of the Northeast Community of the Sisters of Mercy said both parties "have concluded that the school can best continue to serve its students by ending our historical affiliation."
Bishop Robert Deeley of the Diocese of Portland said he's saddened by the move.
The announcement comes as the school explores a new partnership with the University of New England, and McAuley's head of school says girls of all faiths will be welcomed.
