Parents Continue Push To Keep Wayne Catholic Elementary School Open

WAYNE, NJ — Shocked parents of students at Wayne's Immaculate Heart of Mary School are trying to prevent the Catholic elementary, which has been open for 65 years, from shutting down this fall.

Parents are looking to raise $500,000 to help keep the school open, according to the most recent update on a GoFundMe page.

"For decades, IHM has provided quality education and fostered strong moral values," the fundraising page states. "This goal may seem lofty, but any dent will show the viability of pushing to keep this school open!"

Community members have also expressed their frustrations with church leadership, school staff, and Diocese of Paterson representatives after officials abruptly announced the school's closure last Thursday.

The school has been affiliated with Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish on Ratzer Road since its opening in 1959. Reverend Mateusz Jasniewicz said that the parish had to provide $224,000 in grant money to help keep the school running this year, and projected a total expected deficit of $375,000 for the year.

"This decision does not come lightly," he wrote in a message to the community. "It stems from deep consideration of our unsustainable circumstances."

Jasniewicz said that declining enrollment has made it difficult to continue operating the school without hiking tuition for the existing families.

"Additionally, the proximity of excellent, tuition- free public schools significantly detracts from our value proposition, making it increasingly difficult to justify the financial burden associated with private education," he wrote.

Some IHM families have already had to move elementary school communities, as there are three others in the county that have closed in the past 10 years: St. Francis of Assisi School in Wanaque, St. Catherine of Bologna School in Ringwood and St. Mary's School in Pompton Lakes.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary School's closing would leave four parochial elementary schools remaining in Passaic County which are connected to the Diocese of Paterson.

"With Catholic school after school closing, we're running out of locations to send our children to get a religious education," parents wrote in the GoFundMe page.

The Diocese is offering a $1,500 subsidy for students who choose to transfer to one of their remaining elementary schools, which will be payable directly to the school.

There were two informative meetings at the school on Friday for parents and families, which reporters were not allowed into.

Several dozen parents also met informally on Monday with church finance committee members to try and come up with a financial solution to keep the school running, an IHM teacher told Patch. One parent also expressed that tuition at IHM School is more affordable than at other nearby Catholic schools.

Parents have also been concerned with how any fundraising money would be managed and spent, as the school is a subsidiary of the church.

The Diocese of Paterson, which also represents the Catholic communities in Morris and Sussex counties, is handling media queries related to the school closing; a spokesperson had not replied to Patch's financial questions by press time.