What was scheduled as a meeting to inform parents about the potential closing of Holy Family Academy turned into a rally of support with hundreds of students, parents, alumni and others filling the gymnasium.
The Sisters of St. Joseph, who founded the school in 1925, announced that due to reduced enrollment and continued demands for running; Holy Family Academy High School is scheduled to close at the end of the 2008-2009 school year.
In a press release, the Sisters of Saint Joseph, who operate the all girls’ school, said troubles meeting enrolment and increasing need for financial support from the sisters figured in the announcement.
“For many of these last years, reenrollment patterns and projection and securing of adequate financial resources have become increasing challenges,” the statement said.
Holy Family Academy has operated at several sites in Bayonne for 82 years.
The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chestnut Hill, Pa., founded Holy Family in 1925 as a high school for girls, but moved several times before relocating the school at its current location in 1954.
Sister Mary Ellen Ford, principal of Holy Family, also noted that the aging population of the sisters also contributes to the decision, since the average age of the sisters is 71.
They can no longer afford to financially support the school.
The graduating class last June was only 49 students, down from more than 100 students in the 1980s. But the school has a good academic reputation, with 100 percent of its graduates going onto to college. In June, the 49 students earned more than $5 million in scholarships.
The school receives no funding from the Archdiocese of Newark, only the Sisters of Saint Joseph.
But the announcement of Holy Family Academy’s potential closing comes at a time when other Catholic schools are being consolidated.
Late last year, the Archdiocese announced that it was merging four of its Catholic elementary schools into one. Many of those students have since enrolled in the public school system.
Sister Ford, however, dispelled reports that the property has been promised to a local developer.
“No one has purchased the property and the property hasn’t been promised to anyone, despite the rumor,” she said.
Another positive piece of news came just before the Jan, 14 rally.
The Sisters of St. Joseph had originally ordered the school to cease enrolling freshman. School officials and parents apparently won a reprieve, based at least in part on a possible plan to purchase the school.
“We asked them again and again, why we can’t take in freshmen?” Ford said.
Sister Ford said the parents of eighth grade students have been pleading for the school to take their daughters.
“But eventually they told us we could accept freshman,” she said.
Ford said a tentative plan has been worked out for the purchase of the school from the Sisters of Saint Joseph, although it is too early to name any figures.
“We have a ballpark figure as to what it will cost,” she said.
If successful, the school would be run as an independent institution after 2009.
The school is assessed by the city at about $2.7 million.
Currently the school has a total enrollment of about 200.
This is sharply down from school populations in the 1980s that exceeded 400 students.
Ford said those supporting Holy Family Academy have to begin harnessing its energy to save the school. This will include networking with everyone that could possibly help.
The crowds rallying to support the school included interim Mayor Terrance Malloy, City Council members Ted Connolly and Anthony Chiappone and several members of the Bayonne Board of Education.
“We have a small window of opportunity,” Ford told the crowd. “We need to move to implement our plan to buy the property by 2009.”
The plan is far from complete, formulated during the few days after the announcement was made about the potential closing.
Ford said the key to survival would involve a community effort and people networking with others in order to find financial support for the effort.
While St. Anthony’s in Jersey City was able to accomplish something similar, the school had the backing of NBA players.
“But we have incredible alum and great parents,” Ford said. “We also have some political figures who want to help.”
Ford urged those in attendance to fill out information cards that might provide contacts to possible supporters and others. She said the school has already received commitments from several community leaders, including people from the Bayonne Community Bank, who will help with the financing.
“Some of our current students have volunteered to return their scholarships,” Ford said. “We are looking for people with expertise in finance, and those interested in helping us come up with some ideas. We need to get the word out, to develop contacts, and perhaps find someone who knows someone else who might help.”
Current and former students of Holy Family gave impassioned pleas to the crowd to encourage them to help.
Jade Guanchez, a graduate of HFA’s Class of 2001, said she was “hurt and angry” when she first heard the news. But since then, she decided she has to help fight to keep the school open.
Sandy Murphy, a graduate from 1955, said she was in the first class to graduate from the current building and said her three daughters have graduated from here, and that keeping Holy Family Academy open is a community issue.
“We need to save it for future students,” she said.
Kimberly McGrath, a current student, said the community can’t stand by and watch another part of Bayonne go away.
“This is a wakeup call,” she said.
Chiappone said he would do whatever he could to help.
But Mayor Malloy told the crowd that this was going to be a difficult battle and that, at times, they may feel discouraged. He said the mayor and council will do whatever is possible to help in the effort.
“There will be days when you see no hope,” he said. “That’s when you have to try harder.”
First Ward Councilman Ted Connolly would act as council liaison to the school.