Kyrillos urges diocese to keep St. Joseph open
Catholic school is one of three slated to close in Bayshore
BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer
Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-13th District) is putting his support behind parents who want to keep a Catholic school operating in the Bayshore.

Sen. Joseph Kyrillos

Kyrillos Monday introduced a resolution in the Legislature, which urges the Diocese of Trenton to keep St. Joseph School in Keyport from closing its doors.

The senator sponsored the resolution and introduced it at the March 16 Senate session.

"I have been in touch with Bishop [John M.] Smith, who is a wonderful leader of the church," Kyrillos said. "I am convinced that when he is presented with a fresh and practical alternative on this issue, he will realize that there is potential to craft a logical solution for the church, the community, the parents and especially the children."

The resolution comes after two separate decisions in which the bishop reaffirmed the closing of St. Joseph School in Keyport and two other Bayshore Catholic schools, St. Ann School in Keansburg and Holy Family School in Hazlet, at the end of the current school year as a result of declining enrollment.

Alumni of the three Catholic elementary schools proposed a plan to keep at least one of the schools open by combining the three into one viable school based at St. Joseph.

The group of parents and alumni from the three schools known as the Bayshore Catholic Alliance sent a proposal to the diocese calling for the establishment of a new private school.

Two options being discussed include increasing enrollment to meet the minimum requirement of students needed to maintain a viable school or leasing the current building and becoming an independent Catholic school.

Kyrillos said he is hugely impressed with the commitment of the parents involved and their efforts should be applauded.

"Merging these three schools and keeping St. Joseph's open makes sense," Kyrillos said. "Not only will the institution continue to provide a strong educational experience for the students enrolled, but it will prevent the surrounding public schools from having to absorb additional students."

According to the resolution, the closing of all three Bayshore Catholic schools "will leave the Catholic families of Aberdeen, Matawan, Cliffwood Beach, Keyport, Hazlet, Union Beach, Keansburg, North Middletown, Port Monmouth, and Belford with no reasonable way to continue to choose Catholic education for their families.

"Such deprivation of choice in education is contrary to New Jersey's tradition of providing quality education in a variety of forms to the children of this state."

The closings will affect a combined total of 386 students. Mother Teresa Regional, as well as two parish schools — St. Benedict in Holmdel and St. Mary in New Monmouth — all stand committed to welcoming the students from the closing schools, Dr. Judith A. Caviston, diocesan secretary for education, stated in a letter sent to parents Jan. 23.

The school with the most available spaces is Mother Teresa Regional in Atlantic Highlands, and the diocese will give Holy Family, St. Joseph and St. Ann families who choose the regional school assistance with transportation and some of the tuition costs, the a press release from the diocese states.

The diocese is also assisting the three closing schools to put together severance packages for the 60 faculty members who will be displaced.

In addition to the severance packages, Bishop Smith has asked that pastors and principals around the diocese forward information about any anticipated openings so that it may be shared with faculty of the three schools.

St. Joseph, St. Ann and Holy Family were identified as "under-enrolled" and were recommended to be placed on a watch list, in need of marketing and development.

Despite attempts by the schools to expand marketing efforts and retain students, enrollment continued to drop, according to the diocese, which said the negative trends were largely attributed to the regional economic downturn.

The Diocese of Trenton encompasses 113 parishes serving more than 800,000 Catholics in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties.

There are currently 40 parish, diocesan or regional Catholic elementary schools in the diocese, with an enrollment of more than 13,000 students. Another 5,000 stu- dents attend one of eight parish or diocesan Catholic high schools.

Contact Jamie Romm at

jromm@gmnews.com.