NORTH ARLINGTON —
As a result of efforts achieved to date by parents, students, faculty and friends of Queen of Peace High School to raise $1 million to enable this parish-based high school to remain open for the 2016-17 year and to craft a plan for its long-term viability, Newark Archbishop John J. Myers today agreed to a new deadline of July 15 to help the school meet and beat the targets.
In mid-May, the school, its staff, volunteers and stakeholders were given a deadline of June 30 to achieve the fundraising and planning results. That step was taken after the Archdiocese learned this spring that Queen of Peace High School and Parish could not meet some $1.75 million in school obligations for this current school year.
When combined with funds that the Archdiocese had already given to the school to meet cash shortfalls in the two previous school years — $100,000 in 2014 and $250,000 in 2015 – the total amount of cash that the Archdiocese has provided to Queen of Peace has totaled some $2.1 million.
Declines in student enrollment in recent years and insufficient tuition collection efforts were among the reasons for the shortfalls.
According to the school, more than $900,000 has been donated or committed to date, and staff is working to finalize enrollment numbers for September. Archdiocesan Schools Office staff will continue to work with the school’s administration to ensure that Queen of Peace High School has a viable plan for increasing enrollment in the next three years.
Following conversations between the Rev. Michael Donovan, recently-installed pastor of Queen of Peace Parish, and Myers on June 30, the archbishop said, “I applaud the commitment and results of everyone involved to date in this effort to find a long-term solution, and a new life, for Queen of Peace High School. It is my hope that in the next couple of weeks, we will see these efforts come fully to fruition so that we can say that Queen of Peace High School is on the road to a firm financial footing to continue its nine decades-long tradition of Catholic Education. ”
For more information about the Queen of Peace fundraising effort, visit www.qphs.org.
