37°
But many of its families refuse to accept its fate, and are fighting to keep the school that has provided love and nurture to their children alive.
"The school didn't need to close, and it didn't need to close in the manner that it did," said Judy Simon, who has three children at IHM, who opined that more could be done from a business and marketing perspective. "I feel that the Diocese of Paterson didn't do anything to stop it."
Father Mateusz Jasniewicz shared details about the school's closing on its weekly bulletin, citing a "substantial" enrollment decrease, financial problems, and the proximity of "excellent," tuition-free schools as the main reasons for IHM's instability.
"Despite exhaustive efforts to rejuvenate and maintain our school —including initiatives aimed at improving educational offerings and increasing community engagement — the challenges we encounter remain formidable," Jasniewicz writes.
A Change.org petition seeking 500 signatures calls for the resignation of Superintendent Mary Baier, who vowed to "focus on marketing, recruitment, and continuing to maintain their essential Catholic identity" when she took office in 2014.
The petition accuses Baier of failing to follow through on those promises, particularly with the closing of IHM.
Baier released a statement saying, "This is a time of much sadness, pain, and grief for Immaculate Heart of Mary School, very similar to experiencing a death in the family. We need to support our school community: pastor, principal, students, families, faculty, and staff in all ways possible and to make this transition one filled with understanding, kindness, and care."
A handful of other schools in the parish closed in recent years under Baier's tenure, including St. Mary's School in Pompton Lakes, in 2020.
Simon feels the diocese should have done more to market the school, and hopes that just one more year open will give parents, staff, faculty, and the diocese a real shot at lasting longevity.
Kenda Martins, whose oldest child is just wrapping up Pre-K, said she chose IHM due to its close-knit community and homey feel.
"During our tour of the school we spent majority of time talking to the parents and they all loved it so much," she said. "Every single person who works there knows your child. I went to public schools and there we so many kids — you didn’t have that experience."
Martins said the closing of IHM leaves her family with "no alternative."
The closing of IHM, which serves children in Pre-K through 8th grade, leaves just four Diocese of Paterson schools remaining open: Academy of St. James of the Marches, in Totowa; St. Anthony School in Hawthorne; St. Gerard Majella School in Paterson; and St. Philip Preparatory School in Clifton.
Students who choose to transfer to another Diocese of Paterson school will receive a one-year $1,500 tuition subsidy.
"There are no schools in the surrounding areas that will be able to serve us in the same way," she said. "The staff is incredible. As a parent of a child attending school for the first time, the teacher made the experience so unbelievable for us so I don't know if I’ll get that experience elsewhere.
"I don’t know if I would send my kids to another school under the Paterson Diocese, will that close too?"
Martins also extended her sympathies for the teachers, who she says learned of the closure the same way she did, in an email at 3 p.m., with just weeks left in the school year.
"I want to be someone that speaks out when something goes wrong or something that is, in my opinion, unjust," she said. "Beyond the kids' education, I feel like this is extremely unjust for the teachers."
Jasniewicz concluded his remarks in saying, "This decision marks the end of an era for Immaculate Heart of Mary School, but it also provides an opportunity for reflection on the values that bind our community together. In these trying times, let us remember the strength, resilience, and faith that have always defined us."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Long Hill and receive free news updates.
