St. Mary of the Assumption High School was a small Catholic high school on Broad Street in Elizabeth, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The old high school building consists of a three-story brick building with a basement serving as additional classroom space for a total of four floors of education space. The school was affiliated with its parent parish, St. Mary's Church, and operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.[5] The school had been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1992.[2]
| Saint Mary of the Assumption High School Princeps schola Assumptionis Sanctae Mariae | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
237 South Broad Street , , 07202 United States | |
| Coordinates | 40°39′29″N 74°12′57″W / 40.65806°N 74.21583°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, Coeducational |
| Motto | Celebrating Our Past, Focused on Our Future! |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1930 |
| Founder | Sisters of Charity |
| Closed | August 30, 2019 |
| School district | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark |
| Superintendent | Margaret Dames |
| NCES School ID | 00861456[4] |
| Principal | David Evans |
| Faculty | 16.1 FTEs[4] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 184 (as of 2017–18)[4] |
| Average class size | 15 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 11.4:1[4] |
| Color(s) | Blue and white[3] |
| Song | The Bells of St. Mary's |
| Athletics | Basketball, Cheerleading, Bowling, Step Team, Baseball, Softball |
| Athletics conference | Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference |
| Team name | Hilltoppers[3] |
| Rival | The Patrick School |
| Accreditation | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[2] |
| Newspaper | Hilltopper |
| Yearbook | Ave Maria |
| Tuition | $9,000 (2019-20)[1] |
| Website | stmaryhsnj |
As of the 2017–18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 184 students and 16.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.4:1. The school's student body was 50.5% (93) Black, 21.2% (39) Asian, 19.6% (36) two or more races, 6.5% (12) White and 1.1% (2) Hispanic.[4]
History edit
The school opened in 1930. In June 2019, the school received notice that it would be closing that summer, something the principal believed as a surprise. The archdiocese cited the school's debt of $1.5 million and a decline of enrollment of student as reasons for the closure, as well as the decline in school-age children in Elizabeth and the rise of public charter schools, which compete for the same students as urban Catholic schools. Because of this, the archdiocese was unwilling to keep it afloat. In response the community established a GoFundMe to work to resolve the issue.[6] Efforts to raise $2 million to pay off the debt and to keep the doors open fell far short of the fundraising goals and the school officially closed on August 30, 2019.[7]
Athletics edit
The St. Mary of the Assumption High School Hilltoppers[3] competed in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, which included public and private high schools in Union County and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[8][9] Prior to the 2010 NJSIAA's realignment, the school had participated in the Mountain Valley Conference, which consisted of public and private high schools covering Essex and Union counties in northern New Jersey.[10] With 121 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public B for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 37 to 366 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools).[11]
School colors were blue and white. Sports offered include baseball (men), basketball (men and women), bowling (men and women).[3]
The boys basketball team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 1943 (against runner-up St. Peter's Preparatory School in the playoff final), and won the Non-Public B title in 1951 (vs. St. Mary's High School of South Amboy), 1952 (vs. St. Rose High School), 1953 (vs. St. Mary's High School of Perth Amboy), 1954 (vs. St. Joseph's High School of Camden), 1955 (vs. Gloucester Catholic) and 1960 (vs. St. Joseph's of Camden). The program's eight state titles are tied for seventh-most in the state.[12] The 1954 team defeated St. Joseph's of Camden by a score of 54–37 in the Catholic Class B final at the Elizabeth Armory.[13] The 1955 team won the program's fifth consecutive title and won its 20th game of the season with a 54–37 win against Gloucester Catholic in Class B.[14]
The baseball team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 1963 (defeating St. Mary's High School of South Amboy in the tournament final), 1965 (vs. Gloucester Catholic High School) and 1983 (vs. Gloucester Catholic).[15] The 1983 team finished the season with a 15–9 record after winning the Group B state title with a 5–1 victory against Gloucester Catholic in the championship game.[16]
Notable alumni edit
- J. Christian Bollwage (born 1955; class of 1972), mayor of Elizabeth, New Jersey.[17]
- Hubie Brown (born 1933; class of 1951), two-time NBA Coach of the Year (1978, 2004) and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.[18]
- Gage Daye (born 1989), basketball coach and former player.[19]
- Thomas G. Dunn (1921–1998), politician whothe longtime Mayor of Elizabeth, and served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature.[20]
- Chuck Feeney (born 1931, class of 1949), businessman, philanthropist and the founder of The Atlantic Philanthropies, one of the largest private foundations in the world; his 2016 donation of $250,000 was the largest in school history.[21]
- Robert Sparks (born 1947, class of 1965), former handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and in the 1976 Summer Olympics.[22]
- Kevin M. Tucker (1940–2012), Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department from 1986 to 1988.[23]
References edit
- ^ Tuition, Saint Mary of the Assumption High School. Accessed May 26, 2020.
- ^ a b Saint Mary of the Assumption High School Archived June 9, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed November 7, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Saint Mary of the Assumption High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e School data for St Mary Of The Assumption HS, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2020.
- ^ Union County Catholic High Schools, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed August 13, 2017.
- ^ "N.J. Catholic high school 'blindsided' by news of its closing, principal says. The fight is on to keep it open". NJ.com. June 25, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- ^ Heyboer, Kelly. "Catholic high school closes as $2M ‘Hail Mary’ fundraising effort fails", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 1, 2019. Accessed February 20, 2024. "St. Mary of the Assumption High School in Elizabeth permanently shut its doors Wednesday, the school announced on its website.... The Archdiocese of Newark announced in June it was shutting down the urban high school, which had been struggling financially for years and was facing a $1.5 million deficit as enrollment dropped. But alumni, students and community members fought to keep the school open and launched a $2 million 'Save St. Mary’s' fundraising drive."
- ^ League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
- ^ School Information, Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference. Accessed May 26, 2020.
- ^ Home Page, Mountain Valley Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 2, 2011. Accessed December 1, 2014.
- ^ NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
- ^ Boys Basketball Championship History 1919-2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed March 26, 2024.
- ^ "Cella's Cagers Lose To Jeffs; Bloomfield Five Fails To Retain Crown", The Record, March 22, 1954. Accessed February 1, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "St. Mary's of Elizabeth, Weehawken, and Thomas Jefferson of Elizabeth captured championships in the 36th annual N. J. S. I. A. A. basketball tournament here at the Armory.... St. Mary's successfully defended its Catholic B title by halting St. Joseph's of Camden, Weehawken repeated as Group II titlist with a 71-60 decision over Sayreville, and Jefferson knocked out the defending Group IV champ, Bloomfield, by a 59-46 count.... St. Mary's took the Catholic B title in the first tilt of the 5-game program as Dave Mracek and Jerry Bechtle starred with 21 and 17 tallies, respectively. It was the fourth straight crown for St. Mary's."
- ^ Schuck, Charlie. "Gloucester, Wildwood, Trenton Lose In State Finals of Parochial Division; St. Mary's, St. Peter's and Holy Family Capture NJSIAA Titles", Courier-Post, March 19, 1955. Accessed February 20, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "It was a dismal night for South Jersey! aspiring titlists as all three representatives were beaten in the finals of the Parochial division of the annual New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament here at the armory before some 3500 spectators.... St. Peter's took the measure of Trenton Catholic, while St. Mary's toppled Gloucester Catholic, 54-37, and Holy Family dumped Wildwood Catholic, 79-37.... For St. Mary's, it was the fifth straight state title in a row and its 20th triumph of the season, setting a new record in the ultimate-record competition."
- ^ NJSIAA Baseball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
- ^ Burrows, Walt. "St. Mary's takes crown with win over Gloucester Catholic", Courier-Post, June 12, 1983. Accessed January 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "St. Mary's High School of Elizabeth, taking advantage of some loose play and the strong four-hit pitching of Chris Wnek, cruised to a 5-1 triumph over Gloucester Catholic and to the NJSIAA Group B baseball championship yesterday on the Princeton University field. The Hilltoppers, who lost to Bishop Eustace in last year's final, won their first state championship since 1965 by breaking a 1-1 tie with three runs in the third inning on a triple by Tony Candelino, whose brother Ben is the team's head coach.... The Hilltoppers, 15-9, ended the scoring with an unearned run in the fourth inning."
- ^ Staff. "Tour De Elizabeth", Hilltopper Newsletter, Spring 2015, Volume 12, Issue 1. Accessed August 6, 2015. "Ashley Bolivard ('16), Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage ('72), Nicole Fernandes ('16) and Xavier Sanchez ('15)"
- ^ Staff. "Basketball Hall Of Famer Returns To Visit St. Mary's ", NJToday.net, November 16, 2011. Accessed December 1, 2014. "In October, Hubie and Claire Brown visited St. Mary of the Assumption High School in Elizabeth. Hubie, a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, former NBA coach and current TV analyst, is a 1951 graduate of St. Mary's."
- ^ Greg Daye, Bloomfield Bears men's basketball. Accessed May 26, 2020. "Hometown: Newark, NJ; High School: St. Mary's (Elizabeth, NJ)"
- ^ Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 197, Part 2, p. 204. E.J. Mullin, 1977. Accessed August 30, 2019. "Thomas G. Dunn, Dem., Elizabeth Senator Dunn was born in Elizabeth on April 9, 1921. He is a graduate of St. Mary's High School, Elizabeth, and of the Vail School of Business, Newark."
- ^ Haydon, Tom. "Billionaire remembers his Elizabeth high school with $250K donation", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 12, 2016. Accessed January 6, 2017. "On Thursday, the international foundation Feeney started, Atlantic Philanthropies, gave $250,000 to his alma mater, St. Mary of Assumption High School in Elizabeth. The donation is the largest single contribution to the high school, St. Mary officials said. Feeney graduated from the school in 1949 and his desire to donating to others was inspired from his time at the school, Christopher Oechsli the president and CEO of the Atlantic Philanthropies, told St. Mary students."
- ^ Staff. "Handball Player to Represent Area in Olympics", Rahway News-Record / Clark Patriot, June 1, 1972. "Bob Sparks of Clark will play for the United States at the indoor team handball competition.... Sparks, who was a star pitcher for the St. Mary's High School baseball team of Elizabeth in 1965, as introduced to team handball in October 1970 in Fort Sam Houston, Tex., where Dr. Peter Buehning of Short Hills, coach of the United States team, operated a clinic there."
- ^ Warner, Bob. "Former Police Commissioner Kevin M. Tucker dies at 71", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 20, 2012. Accessed July 6, 2012. "He was one of six children born to Irish immigrants William and Catherine Tucker. The family moved to Rahway, N.J., and Mr. Tucker attended St. Mary High School in Elizabeth."