Marmion Academy Is Going Coed

AURORA, IL — After almost a century as an all-boys Roman Catholic high school, Marmion Academy in Aurora will begin admitting female students as early as the 2026-27 school year, officials said.

The Marmion Academy chapter of monks voted last weekend to approve the planning and implementation of a co-educational model. The Board of Trustees made the formal recommendation at its October meeting and the "monastic community affirmed that recommendation."

"This decision follows a long period of prayer, reflection, and careful consideration of the evolving needs of our students and our broader community," Abbot Joel Rippinger wrote in a news release. "As time has changed, Marmion has and continues to always look for ways to better serve our community. As the greater Fox Valley area has experienced a change in population it has served as an opportunity for us to reevaluate our current model."

Under the circa 1933 school's new model, the initial strategy will be to keep students in single-gender classrooms as first-years and sophomores and transition them into co-ed classrooms as juniors and seniors. Rippinger said the model's exact design and timeline will be solidified over the next several months.

Rippinger listed the following benefits of the transition:

• Prepare students for the diverse, interconnected world they will encounter after graduation. A co-ed setting fosters richer discussions, a variety of perspectives, and essential collaborative skills—traits that are increasingly important in today's world.
• Meet the needs of our Catholic community in the Fox Valley and surrounding areas, where many families value the Benedictine tradition and Catholic education and are eager to provide their daughters with the transformative experience that Marmion Academy offers.
• Position Marmion for long-term enrollment growth in an increasingly competitive landscape for high school students, allowing us to better serve our mission and community.

To accommodate more students, plans are in the works to renovate Benkert Hall and athletic locker rooms and bathrooms, according to a frequently asked questions list put together by the school. The updates will support a "much larger enrollment."

"Our transition to a co-educational model will be thoughtful and intentional," Rippinger said. "Our top priority is ensuring that this change strengthens the traditions and values that have made Marmion Academy the unique and special place that it is."