Some alumni are pledging money to help the school.

SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Reaction is still pouring in two weeks after Jesuit High School announced it will start admitting girls in 2027. Some parents and alumni are now pushing back, hoping to keep Jesuit an all-boys school.

The conversation around the decision has not quieted down. Instead, it has galvanized parents and alumni who say they were blindsided.

Louis Stanfill, a 2003 graduate, former Jesuit coach, and Hall of Famer, said while going co-divisional isn’t inherently bad, it changes the core of Jesuit’s identity. 

“A lot of sadness to be perfectly frank,” he said. “It absolutely changes one of the main things that makes that school so special. The decision to be made so hastily without enough communication with a lot of the people who matter to that school, I feel was clearly not done appropriately.”

Dan Cairns, a 2010 graduate, said he and other alumni were not consulted about the decision. 

“We like to think we are a big Jesuit family, and here this is a very big decision being made. And a lot of the family members were never consulted and we were never asked for help,” he said. “I gave my heart and my soul to that school for four years. And I just really care about it and what it used to be.”

Cairns added he hopes Jesuit could one day support a second all-girls Jesuit high school.

“That would be my dream, that this school succeeds beyond our wildest dreams,” said Cairns.

The pushback is not limited to social media. Some alumni are pledging money to help the school, citing they heard financial reasons as the motivation for the change. 

“We are trying to get their attention and hopefully, have them reconsider, said Cairns. “Cause right now it just feels to a lot of us like they are jamming this agenda down our throats.”

Cairns adds, “help the school, maybe take a deep breath and engage us in a longer conversation about potential solutions for what they claim and they are facing.”

So far, supporters say they have raised around $3 million in pledges in less than a week that is over five years commitment, but the donations are conditional, they only stand if Jesuit remains an all-boys school. 

“A lot of the alumni are working together to pledge money to help raise funding, which is what they say is the issue. We can help make that up,” Stanfill said.

Parents like Hailey Heller, whose son is a freshman at Jesuit, said the change came as a surprise. 

“My son and his friends, they are upset about it and they are confused by it. It took us a little bit by surprise and we were really disappointed. There’s schools in the area that are great schools, but we specifically went for this reason,” she said.

Heller said she wants current students to receive the full experience they were promised.

“I really think that the students that enrolled this year, the freshmen, should get the full experience that they were signed up for,” she said. “I think that it’s not too late for them to reverse this decision and it doesn’t look poorly on them. I think that my hope is that they can reverse it and it won’t look poorly, but actually show these men that they really took the community, the alumni and the families that are currently there more into consideration.”

Jesuit President Chris Alling released this statement to ABC10 when asked about the fundraiser by those who oppose the new plan:

“Following a thorough and deliberative process, Jesuit High School of Sacramento’s Board of Trustees approved a co-divisional model beginning in fall 2027. This direction reflects our commitment to Jesuit’s mission, ensures long-term sustainability, and expands access to young women. 

The Board’s decision, which is final, is a testament to Jesuit Sacramento’s unwavering commitment to this direction. We are now focused on thoughtful implementation and on preparing to welcome young women for the 2027–2028 school year.”

WATCH MORE ON ABC10 | Twin Rivers educators push for smaller classes and better staffing

ABC10: Watch, Download, Read