Madison Residents Approve Leasing Island Ave. to Catholic School

MADISON, CT - Madison residents voted at a town meeting Monday 91 in favor to 19 against leasing the old Island Avenue School to Our Lady of Mercy Preparatory Academy (OLMPA).

A few years ago, Our Lady of Mercy School (OLM) was notified by the Sisters of Mercy that its lease was being canceled. While it was able to negotiate a lease extension, the archdiocese subsequently decided to combine that school with St. Mary's in Branford to create the Eastern Shoreline Catholic Academy and close OLM.

The town was approached after the initial lease was canceled, to see if we could help provide alternatives to OLM leaving Madison.

When the archdiocese made the decision to close the school, OLMPA was formed to try to keep a school here. It investigated several potential sites, including Academy School. When the decision was made by the Board of Education to close Island Avenue school, that group's focus turned in that direction.

The lease has a one-year term with a lease payment of approximately $535,000.

Photo by Jack Kramer