Princeton Academy Of The Sacred Heart To Close At End Of 2023-24 School Year

PRINCETON, NJ – Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, a private K-8 school for boys, announced it will be closing at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.

The Board of Trustees of the school made the announcement in a letter to the community.

The decision was made due to the financial challenges faced by the institution, officials said

Officials also announced that the school has entered into a “letter of intent” with the Aldenham Education group, for a potential acquisition.

In Febuary, officials informed parents that the institution was in a financial crunch, yet educators and staff continued to provide the best education to students.

“Princeton Academy continues to face financial challenges brought on by changing demographics and rising costs. As reported in February, the Board has been pursuing numerous options to help the school remain viable, including asset sales, outreach for increased enrollment, potential mergers with other institutions, and additional support from generous donors. These measures have been helpful. However, despite our best efforts to find workable solutions, and after careful consideration, reflection, and discernment, the Board of Trustees has unanimously made the most difficult decision to close operations of Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart at the end of the current school year,” the Board of Trustees said in their letter to the school community.

They assured the community that the decision would have no impact on the 2023-24 academic year as programs and planned activities will remain unchanged.

“We understand that this news may come as a shock and that you will have many questions. One of the questions we know will be on everyone's mind is how Princeton Academy intends to assist students, families, faculty, staff, and alumni. We plan to engage with each group directly in a series of meetings, and we hope the initial conversations we have in the coming weeks will provide both an understanding of our decision and how we can move forward,” the Board said.

With regard to a future acquisition, the Board said they were discussing a potential agreement with Aldenham Education Group — one of the oldest schools in England.

“Our conversations with Aldenham could potentially allow for a new school, under a new banner, to begin operations in the fall of 2024. We expect more detailed information about this potential opportunity to be available over the next two months. Our hope and intention is for this campus and these spaces, our home away from home, to remain a school.”

The school opened in 1999 with 34 students in Grades K-3 and 14. In 2008, Princeton Academy was formally admitted into the Network of Sacred Heart Schools.

The school is located 3 miles from downtown Princeton on a 50-acre campus, which was formerly home to the Marianite Sisters of the Holy Cross.

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