Benedictine Academy

Benedictine Academy was a Catholic parochial, college preparatory high school that served young women in ninth through twelfth grades in Elizabeth, in Union County, New Jersey, United States. The school was opened in 1915 by the Benedictine Sisters of Elizabeth, Saint Walburga Monastery, and operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.[5]

Benedictine Academy
Address
Benedictine Academy
Benedictine Academy
840 North Broad Street

Elizabeth
,
(Union County)
,
NJ
07208

United States
Coordinates40°41′2″N 74°12′54″W
Information
TypePrivate, All-Girls
MottoListen, Learn, Love and Lead... this is the Benedictine Way!
(Whatever hurts my sister, hurts me. Whatever helps my sister, helps me.)
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1915
Closed2020
School board310310
PresidentSr. Sharon McHugh, OSB
AdministratorAshley Powell
Faculty24.1 FTEs[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment183 (as of 2015-16)[1]
Student to teacher ratio7.6:1[1]
Color(s)     Green and
     white[2]
Athletics conferenceUnion County Interscholastic Athletic Conference
MascotThe Green Bee
Team nameGreen Bees[2]
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[3]
YearbookThe Benedictine
School feesapprox. $600.00
Tuition$7,950 (2016-17)[4]
AffiliationBenedictine Sisters of Elizabeth
Director of GuidancePatricia Moseley
Admissions DirectorAnalisa Branco
Athletic DirectorDarren Michael Jones
Websitebenedictineacad.org

In the wake of declining enrollment, the school announced that it would close at the end of the 2019-20 school year. Compared to an enrollment in 2014-15 of 174 students, the school estimated that 2020-21 enrollment would be 115.[6]

The school had been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1996.[3]

As of the 2015-16 school year, the school had an enrollment of 183 students and 24.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 7.6:1. The school's student body was 36.6% Hispanic, 35.5% Black, 19.7% White, 2.7% Asian and 5.5% two or more races.[1] Benedictine Academy welcomed students of any race, color, national and ethnic origins. The BA faculty comprised Benedictine Sisters, members of other religious communities and lay teachers, 70% of whom have advanced degrees.

History

It opened in 1915. In the 2014-2015 school year its student body was 174. It had 122 students, 35 in the 12th grade, in spring 2020, and it was projected for 2020-2021 that its student body would be 155, including 20 in the 9th grade. It instead closed in spring 2020.[7]

Awards and recognition

In June 2011, Benedictine Academy was recognized as the Jefferson Awards for Public Service "Best New School" in recognition of programs developed at the school to combat bullying and human trafficking.[8]

Athletics

The Benedictine Academy Green Bees[2] compete in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, following a 2010 reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.[9]

Graduation requirements

Graduation requirements include: 4 years of English, Math, Religious Studies, and Physical Education/Health & Safety; 3 years of Science, Social Studies, and World Language; 2 years of American History, 1 year of World Culture, and 1 year of Art. Advanced Placement and Honors Courses are offered in Biology, Pre-Calculus, English Literature, U.S. History, French and Spanish. Elective courses are offered in Economics, Computer Technology, Psychology, Law, Media, and the Arts.

Technology

The school has a computer lab, SMART boards in every classroom, a new interactive science lab, high-speed wireless Internet access for students, and an integrated laptop program.

Notable alumni

Benedictine Sisters of Elizabeth, NJ

In September 1864, three Benedictine sisters arrived from Newark, New Jersey, at the request of Peter Henry Lemke, pastor of St. Michael's, who was in need of German-speaking sisters to teach at the parish school.[12] In 1868, they became an independent congregation and moved to the newly built St. Walburga's Convent. The sisters taught at St. Henry's parish school, and also at an academy for girls established at St. Walburga's.

In 1903, they opened Our Lady of Victory sanitarium with a training school for nurses at Kingston, New York.[13] The following year, services expanded to Benedictine Hospital on Mary’s Avenue. The hospital was later taken over by HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley.

In 1906, a convent and private school were established at Brooklands, DC. In 1923, the St. Walburga's Monastery re-located to North Broad Street.[14] The sisters taught at elementary schools in the dioceses of Newark, Cleveland and Manchester.[13] Benedictine Preschool opened in the fall of 1996. Due to declining enrollment with the availability of tuition-free programs in public schools, the preschool closed in 2019.

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References
  1. School data for Benedictine Academy, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed October 20, 2017.
  2. Benedictine Academy, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 30, 2016.
  3. Benedictine Academy Archived April 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools. Accessed October 1, 2011.
  4. Tuition, Benedictine Academy. Accessed August 17, 2017.
  5. Union County Catholic High Schools, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed August 10, 2017.
  6. Jackman, EmilyAnn. "Benedictine Academy closing in June", Union News Daily, March 6, 2020. Accessed July 15, 2020. "Benedictine Academy is permanently closing its doors. The academy, an all-girl’s Catholic high school founded in 1915, made the announcement on Feb. 24 in a letter posted to its website.... The letter cited declining enrollment as the primary reason for shutting down the school.... While the academy had enrolled 174 students for the 2014–2015 academic school year, projections indicated that the student population might drop to only 115 for the 2020–2021 academic school year."
  7. Jackman, Emily Ann (2020-03-06). "Benedictine Academy closing in June". Union News Daily. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  8. Staff. "Benedictine Academy in Elizabeth receives National Jefferson Award", Suburban News,July 18, 2011. Accessed October 1, 2011.
  9. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2019-2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 29, 2020.
  10. Lauren H. Carson, Rhode Island General Assembly. Accessed February 23, 2018. "She is a graduate of Benedictine Academy in New Jersey."
  11. Fitzgerald's Legislative Manual, State of New Jersey, p. 269. E.J. Mullin, 2003, Accessed September 17, 2019. "Arlene M. Friscia, Dem., Woodbridge - Ms. Friscia was born in Newark and attended public schools there and the Benedictine Academy in Elizabeth."
  12. "Benedictine sister of Elizabeth", Benedictine Academy
  13. "St. Walburga's Convent, Elizabeth, N.J.", The Catholic Church in the United States of America, Catholic Editing Company, 1914, p. 27 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  14. "History", Benedictine Sisters, Elizabeth, NJ
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