Archdiocese of Newark spokesman Jim Goodness confirmed today the archdiocese plans to close Mater Dei Academy in Kearny. St. Anne's School in Jersey City is also reportedly set to close.St. Anne's School in Jersey City and Mater Dei Academy in Kearny are slated to close their doors after this school year because of diminishing attendance and rising debt, school and church officials said today.
"Our hope now is that in the next couple of months parents will find another Catholic school where their children's education can continue in September," Newark Archdiocese spokesman Jim Goodness said today, speaking about Mater Dei.
The archdiocese had no comment on St. Anne's, but a source said the school would close in June.
A woman who answered the phone at Mater Dei this morning said the school had no comment at this time. St. Anne's principal could not be reached because she was teaching a class.
Mater Dei had 250 students when it was formed three years ago by merger of two Schools, Goodness said. It began this school year with only 170 students. Tuition at the school is $3,600, Goodness said.
St. Anne's Church Trustee and Jersey City Police Sgt. James Carroll played a role in the successful effort to keep the school open under threat of closure last year. He said today that he is meeting with parents Tuesday to review options, including the possibility of converting the Catholic school to a charter school.
"We saved it once and we hope to save it again," Carroll said. "We are going to try to rewrite the book a little bit," said Carroll, who also noted that the archdiocese is averse to allowing its schools to convert.
Carroll noted that the school lost 33 students last year but suggested it was due to parent fears due to its near closure. He said the school gained 22 students this year and that financially, it is "carrying itself."