Hudson Maxim School Closes For Good After Heating Issue

HOPATCONG, NJ — After over 100 years in operation, the end has come for Hudson Maxim school. The elementary school is officially closed for good, after a heating issue pushed up the planned closure by several months.

"In summary, the main reason for this sudden action is that the delivery system of the steam heat in the Hudson Maxim School was failing. For example, there is a pipe that delivers heat under the cement floor of the gym. That pipe has a leak and it is impossible to get to it unless the gym floor is jack hammered, the leak is found, the leak is repaired, and the floor cemented over again; however the chance of the leak occurring again in the future is very possible," superintendent Art DiBenedetto said.

The school was scheduled to close at the end of the year, but a break in a heating pipe would have been too costly and cumbersome to fix in an already-closing school, officials said. Students had their last day in the school on Thursday. Kindergarten and first grade students had off on Monday, and Hudson Maxim Preschool and MD programs were in session at the high school.

Teachers were allowed into the buildings on Friday to retrieve classroom items and no students from Hudson Maxim attended school on Monday to give teachers more setup time.

"I am quite grateful at the ability of staff and community to rally towards our most important cause which is to benefit children," DiBenedetto said.

Durban Ave School will now be home to pre-k, kindergarten and first grade. Tulsa Trail will continue to house grades two and three. The middle school will house grades four through seven, with Tracy Hensz serving as co-principal for the two lower grades and Lewis Benfatti serving as co-principal for the upper to grades.

The high school will also have co-principals. The school will now be home to grade eight with co-principal Jeff Hallenbeck, and grades nine through ten with current principal Emil Binotto.

Hudson Maxim was first opened in 1908, and has reached capacity. Officials say the pre-k, kindergarten and first grades are the only age cohort where they are seeing growth, and the school can't accommodate it.

The building and the land it sits on will be sold.

Image via Hopatcong School District