User:Dppowell/Sandbox/St. Peter the Apostle High School

St. Peter the Apostle School, commonly known as St. Peter's School, was a K-8, private, coeducational Roman Catholic school located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It was a member of the Diocese of Metuchen.

The school opened in 1846. It was among the first Catholic schools in New Jersey and the first in what would later become the Diocese of Metuchen.

Until June 2007, the school also included a high school. Declining enrollment at the high school led to financial difficulties during the 1980s and 1990s, when the diocese began subsidizing the school's operations. Over the next two decades, the subsidies increased while various initiatives to revitalize the school met with limited success. The worsening financial picture led Bishop Paul Bootkoski to announce the high school's closure in February 2007.

In 2008, the elementary school merged with St. Mary School, the only other Catholic elementary school in New Brunswick. The combined school was renamed to "St. Mary & St. Peter Catholic Academy."

History

Founding and early years

The school was opened in 1846 by Father John Rodgers, an Irish immigrant who was the first resident pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul Parish (f.1829).

In 1867, the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth were invited to staff the school. In 1892, a new school building, Columbia Hall, was constructed on Somerset Street near the site of the original St. Peter's Hospital (across the street from the present location of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital).

20th century

The elementary school and gymnasium were built adjacent to Columbia Hall in 1960. In 1970, Columbia Hall was demolished to make way for a new high school building.

High school financial difficulties and closure

Beginning in 1985, declining enrollment and rising costs required the Diocese of Metuchen to subsidize the high school's continued operation. The diocese initially contributed $50,000 to the school, but by 1993, the subsidy had grown to $600,000 per year. In 2003, the high school graduated approximately 20 students, the smallest graduating class in its history. By 2007, the diocese had provided about $7.3 million in subsidies to keep the high school open, and St. Peter's parish had borrowed an additional $2 million from its cemetery to support the high school. For the 2006-07 school year, the high school had 160 students enrolled, 42 percent of whom received tuition assistance.

The parish and school submitted two five-year plans for the revitalization of the school, neither of which succeeded. Among the options evaluated was the conversion of the curriculum to a Cristo Rey model, which may have eliminated the need for the diocesan subsidy. Other suggestions included moving the campus to the former Pope Pius X high school in Piscataway, which closed in 1990.

On February 12, 2007, Bishop Paul Bootkoski announced that the school would close following the end of that school year. At the time of its closure, it was the oldest Catholic high school in New Jersey. The high school's closure was part of a rash of diocesan school closings between 2002 and 2007, including four in June 2007.

Further financial troubles and consolidation

The high school was not alone in its financial difficulties. Though the elementary school enjoyed support from attendees of St. Peter's parish church, at the time of the high school closure, it had also received $1.3M in diocesan subsidies. At that time, St. Peter school was one of only two Catholic elementary schools remaining in New Brunswick. The other was St. Mary School, operated by a parish of the same name.

Though the diocese's executive director of education, Monsignor Michael J. Corona, said in March 2007 that there were no plans to close either St. Mary or St. Peter schools, Corona later said that an external study to examine the feasibility of merging the schools had been initiated in 2005. The merger of the two was effected after the 2007-08 school year. The merged school inherited the St. Peter school campus and became known as "St. Mary and St. Peter Catholic Academy" for the 2008-09 school year.

Athletics

During the 20th century, St. Peter's high school athletics programs enjoyed considerable success, particularly in basketball.

In 1968, St. Peter's star John Somogyi set New Jersey's all-time high school basketball scoring record with 3,308 career points. That record stood until 1992, when it was broken by his daughter, Kristen Somogyi. The younger Somogyi won New Jersey's Player of the Year honor in 1992 and went on to finish her high school career with 3,899 points, a record that still stands. John Somogyi's boys' scoring record stood until 2000.

The 1992 girls' basketball team that featured Kristen Somogyi posted a perfect 32-0 record, winning the state championship tournament.

The boys' football team captured the South Jersey Parochial B championship in 1984.

The high school's official colors were red and blue, and its mascot was a cardinal.

Arts

In 1987, the high school enjoyed the honor of staging the first live performance in decades at New Brunswick's State Theatre, which was then preparing to undergo a major renovation. The honor coincided with the school's 50th annual staging of a musical theater production.

The high school was also home to a private art gallery named in honor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. It featured works from students and various local artists.

Notable alumni

• Lloyd Boston, author, fashion commentator, and television personality
• James M. Cahill, 62nd mayor of New Brunswick, 1991-present
• John A. Lynch, Jr., New Jersey state senator 1981-2001 and 61st mayor of New Brunswick, 1979-1991

External links

http://stpetersalumni.org/link title