Hudson County Catholic School Will Close At End Of Year: Officials

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — The Board of Trustees of Marist High School in Bayonne has announced the closing of the school at the end of the current academic year.

According to a Wednesday statement from the board, the decision to close the private Roman Catholic co-ed prep school was reached after a consultation with the Archdiocese of Newark’s Education Office.

Officials said that the school has made “considerable efforts” to build enrollment through a marketing campaign and a substantial $650,000 annual financial aid program, which represents 20% of its tuition revenue. In addition, as enrollment declined, the school reduced its administrative and teaching staff and tried to trim other expenses where feasible.

But in the end, it wasn’t enough, administrators said.

“Despite the efforts to market Marist, the school continues to experience operating deficits, which have now eroded its modest reserves. Marist’s projected revenue is insufficient to pay teacher and staff wages and benefits, utilities, maintenance and other essential expenses in the upcoming school year, and further reductions in staff are not conducive to being able to offer a complete and well-rounded Marist and Catholic secondary education.”

Only 76 students enrolled at Marist on the Feb. 4 Registration Day held throughout the Archdiocese of Newark, administrators said.

Marist administrators blamed the closing on “the same recent trends that led to the closure of other Catholic high schools [in the area].”

“The closure of many local Catholic elementary schools, the rising cost of education, the expansion of free charter schools, and the smaller number of Catholic school-age children in the area have brought Marist’s sixty-two years of service to young people to an end,” administrators said.

“In the weeks ahead, school administration and the Archdiocesan Schools Office will work with parents of current Marist students to assist with the transition to other Catholic schools within the Archdiocese,” administrators wrote. “Current faculty members will be placed on a preferred eligibility list for positions at other Archdiocesan schools.”

In response to the decision, the Friends of Marist High School group will be initiating a SAVE MARIST NJ Campaign to keep the Marist tradition alive. Organizers hope to raise $1.5 million by April 24. Visit www.marist.org/savemaristnj for more information.

More information about the closing can be found on the Marist High School website at www.Marist.org/closing

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