Preston High School

$8.5M secured through strategic crisis response and narrative structuring

CLIENT

Preston High School - a private, all-girls Catholic school in the Bronx with a 75-year legacy of academic excellence, leadership development, and community impact.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This campaign was powered by the fierce leadership of Jackeline Stewart-Hawkins, Andrea Donkor, Stephanie Fedak Rodriguez, Vanessa Javier, and Crystal Donkor, alongside the unwavering commitment of Principal Jennifer Connolly—each of whom carried this movement with grace, grit, and a clear vision for what Preston is and will continue to be—a safe space for girls to grow into women who change the world.

The crest of Farrell High School in New York, featuring a cross, a shield with horizontal stripes, and a three-leaf clover, surrounded by the school's name and founding year 1947.

The Challenge

In early 2025, Preston High School—a 75-year Bronx institution serving a diverse, thriving student body—announced sudden closure due to "financial hardship and changing demographics."

The narrative was wrong. The school was financially sound with growing enrollment. The decision came from the property owners, not school leadership. The "changing demographics" framing felt dismissive of the community the school had long served.

The school needed immediate crisis response: correct the narrative, mobilize community support, and fight for transparency—and the right to remain.

The Work

Crisis Communications Strategy
Rapid assessment of the situation, stakeholder landscape, and narrative vulnerabilities. Built crisis response framework to control messaging across multiple channels.

Media Relations & Messaging
Developed press releases, talking points, and media strategy. Positioned school as "cultural and community anchor worth preserving" rather than "struggling institution needing help."

Community Mobilization
Created campaign infrastructure, including website (PrestonForever.com), visual assets, email templates, and supporter materials, to rally alumni, elected officials, and community leaders.

Narrative Repositioning
Shifted the story from closure announcement to community movement. Framed the fight as preservation of legacy and opportunity, not desperation.

THE OUTCOME

Thanks to relentless advocacy from alumni, students, elected officials, and the NY Attorney General’s Office, Preston High School was saved in April 2025 through a landmark $8.5 million deal with Bally’s Foundation.

$8.5M secured through landmark deal with Bally's Foundation (April 2025)

25-year operational guarantee with $1/year rent and up to $1M in capital improvements

Featured in The New York Times with controlled narrative positioning school's value and community importance

School saved with full autonomy over governance and continued operations

Blueprint created for similar advocacy efforts at other institutions facing closure

Why It Worked

Strategic crisis communications turned a closure announcement into a community movement. Clear messaging gave stakeholders—from alumni to elected officials to media—the language to fight effectively.

When narrative control matters most, clarity drives action.

Service: High-Stakes Communication

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Kind Words

Vanessa Javier

It’s been such a joy having you as part of this process, and your energy, creativity, and support have made such an impact.