New Headmaster Hired At Saint Mary Catholic School In Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Jeffrey Johnson is the new headmaster at Middletown's Saint Mary School, the private Catholic school for children ages 2 through eighth grade.

Johnson will take over as headmaster effective July 1, 2025, and current Saint Mary's principal Craig Palmer will transition to the role of president.

Johnson is a Middletown resident; he lives in town with his wife and two young daughters. He said his vision for Saint Mary's school includes growing a stronger partnership between the church and school, increasing enrollment and developing a collaborative relationship with parents, guardians, and staff.

He was most recently principal of Saint Charles Borromeo School in Cinnaminson, NJ and before that he worked as a theology teacher and campus minister at Saint John Vianney High School in Holmdel. He was director of the Vianney Institute of Learning.

"At Saint John Vianney, I had a really great experience with the students who had graduated from Saint Mary,” said Johnson, who is also a parishioner of Saint Mary, Mother of God Catholic church. “I’ve always held this parish and school community in high regard.”

Johnson is a graduate of Wadhams Hall Seminary College and earned a Master of Arts in Theology from Christ the King Seminary, and an additional certificate in Educational Leadership and Management Policy from Seton Hall University.

Rev. Jeffrey Kegley, pastor of Saint Mary, Mother of God Church and who runs St. Mary's school and hired Johnson, did say the arrangement of having two leaders at the school is "unique." He said:

"With two leaders, there is increased capacity for oversight and innovation. The headmaster will focus on immediate school needs, overseeing day-to-day operations, curriculum implementation, and building effective partnerships with families and our local community. Concurrently, the president will plan for the future, with an emphasis on overall vision and school culture, long-term academic planning and fundraising. The result will be a more responsive and resilient school community partnering to advance our commitment to Catholic Classical Liberal Arts Education.”

While teaching at the high school level, Johnson introduced some elements of Catholic classical liberal arts education, such as the Socratic dialogue and exercises in critical thinking.

“Teaching at the high school level, I saw that critical thinking skills aren’t well developed in many students ... As headmaster of Saint Mary, I want families to choose our school because they believe in the benefits of Catholic classical liberal arts education and are invested in our mission, which is formation of the whole person — mind, body and spirit — within the Catholic tradition.”

"There seems to be a prestige associated with higher education, but I think the most important time in education is elementary school. That’s when you can introduce critical thinking and other skills that set students up for success later. When we get it right in the younger grades, students are ready to soar in high school.”