2 Jersey Shore Catholic schools slated to close have been saved

Two of the five Catholic schools in South Jersey run by the Diocese of Camden that were scheduled to close their doors for good have been saved and will reopen.

A June 1 letter sent by the Bishop of Camden Dennis J. Sullivan to Reverend Joseph Wallace and posted in the Save Wildwood Catholic Academy Facebook group Thursday stated the Diocese had approved a proposal from Wildwood Catholic High School and Cape Trinity Catholic Elementary School for the two schools to merge.

“It is unfortunate that it took the announcement of the closure of Wildwood Catholic High School and Cape Trinity Catholic School before the community at large was willing to give Catholic school education in the Wildwoods the attention and concern it deserves,” Sullivan wrote.

The Bishop added he was impressed with several of the initiatives, including the fundraising effort conducted to save the schools, raising more than $1 million cash, and restructuring to combine both institutions into a K-12 school named the Wildwood Catholic Academy.

The proposal comes with stipulations, Sullivan wrote. The newly-formed Academy will be required to publish quarterly reports on enrollment, fundraising, and budget figures. The Diocese wrote that if there are two consecutive quarters where the required reports do not meet the approved goals and budget, the Academy will have to provide the students’ parents and other stakeholders with the information within five business days.

“It is unfair to the families of Wildwood and Cape May County for this to happen a third time,” Bishop Sullivan wrote. “It must likewise be understood that the Diocese of Camden is not in a position to offer a bailout to these institutions now or in the future.”

People from the Five-Mile-Island area and afar, including alumni from the school, undertook the fundraising effort to save the schools for more than six weeks since the closings were announced. The excitement of the news was evident in the statement released by the school Thursday.

“It is with complete joy and blissful energy we get to share the news that Wildwood Catholic Academy will be open July 1, 2020!!!” Wildwood Catholic High School Principal Sr. Sheila Murphy said in a statement posted on Facebook.

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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.