Marist High School (New Jersey)

Marist High School was a private Roman Catholic co-educational college preparatory secondary school located in Bayonne, New Jersey, United States, and operated by the Marist Brothers of the Schools, an international religious congregation of educators with schools in over 70 countries.[6] It was located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.[7] The school had been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1978.[4]

Marist High School
Address
1241 Kennedy Boulevard

Bayonne
,
(Hudson County)
,
New Jersey
07002

United States
Coordinates40°41′26″N 74°6′22″W
Information
TypePrivate, Coeducational
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic, Marist Brothers
Established1954[1]
Closed2020
NCES School ID00861627[2]
PresidentPeter G. Kane
Faculty24 FTEs[2]
Grades9–12
Enrollment309 (as of 2017–18)[2]
Student to teacher ratio12.9:1[2]
Color(s)  Royal blue
  Gold
  White[3]
Athletics conferenceHudson County Interscholastic League
Team nameRoyal Knights / Lady Knights[3]
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[4]
YearbookThe Lance
Tuition$9,150 (2015-16)[5]
Websitewww.marist.org

As of the 2017–18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 309 students and 24 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.9:1. The school's student body was 42.4% (131) Black, 20.7% (64) Asian, 16.5% (51) White, 13.9% (43) Hispanic and 5.5% (17) two or more races.[2]

Despite plans to convert it into a middle school and sports complex, the school was demolished in 2022 due to a lack of funds for lead and asbestos remediation.[8]

History

Marist opened its doors in September 1954, with Brother Leo Sylvius serving as the school's first principal.[9] In 1962, the present campus was acquired to accommodate the school's growth after negotiations led by Brother Leo to acquire land owned by the City of Bayonne, and on April 23, 1964, ground was broken for a new building which would tie together existing buildings on the campus.[10] A modern structure was constructed with 24 classrooms, lecture rooms and laboratories for physics, chemistry, biology and earth science, an art studio, a computer center, and a weight room. A library with a complete audio-visual department, a guidance complex with a career resource center, together with a large gymnasium-auditorium complex and cafeteria were also included as part of the new school building. In 1977, additional land was acquired for expanding the school's athletic facilities. In 1995, an athletic field was built in back of the school.

In 1986, Marist began admitting women and became a co-educational high school.[1] Students from throughout Hudson and Essex counties and the surrounding metropolitan area attend the school. Marist was established primarily for Catholic students.

In 2008 the school's enrollment began decreasing in a manner described by Caitlin Mota of The Jersey Journal as "steadily", and by 2017 9th grade student enrollment was down about 50% from the beginning of the decrease.[11] In March 2017 the school stated that it could potentially close if $1.5 million was not raised in donations to keep the school open.[11] The deadline for the task was April 24.[12] In April the Marist Brothers stated that it would be open for the 2017–2018 school year.[13] This was despite the fact only $750,000 had been raised by the deadline. In December the organization would continue to keep it open by any means possible; the organization decided back in April that it had been unable to keep funding the school.[14]

The school announced in January 2020 that it would close at the end of the 2019–20 school year due to deficits that had risen to $1 million and enrollment that had declined by 50% since 2008.[15]

Athletics

The Marist High School Royal Knights / Lady Knights[3] competed in the Hudson County Interscholastic League, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Hudson County, and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[16] With 271 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public B for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 37 to 366 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools).[17]

The 1994 football team, led by coach Gene Pagnozzi, won the NJSIAA Non-Public Group II state sectional title with a 16–13 victory against Gloucester Catholic High School in the championship game played at Giants Stadium.[18][19] The team won three consecutive county championships from 1991 to 1993 and went to four straight sectional championship games from 1993 to 1996.

The girls' basketball team won the Non-Public Group B state championship, defeating Sacred Heart High School in the tournament final.[20] During his 19 seasons, girls basketball coach Bill Defazio won four sectional titles, including in 2008 against Gill St. Bernard's School in the finals of Non-Public B North B tournament.[21]

The boys basketball team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 1992, defeating Eustace Preparatory School in the finals.[22] Former coach Mike Leonardo had a 209–46 record; 20 players under Leonardo received a Division I scholarships.

Champagnat Scholars Program

Marist High School is known for their Champagnat Scholars Program (CSP). This program is for very gifted and academically inclined students. Students (in as early as their Freshman Year) can obtain college credits by taking Advanced Placement classes offered at Marist. Currently, there are about 30 students in CSP.

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

References
  1. About, Marist High School. Accessed December 2, 2015.
  2. School data for Marist High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2020.
  3. Marist High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  4. Marist High School Archived March 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed July 11, 2011.
  5. Financial Resources, Marist High School. Accessed December 2, 2015.
  6. Marist Founded Schools Archived June 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Marist Brothers. Accessed July 11, 2011.
  7. Hudson County Catholic High Schools, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed August 3, 2016.
  8. "Demolition of Marist High School Underway". TAPinto. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  9. Brother Leo Sylvius: Supplement, Marist College. Accessed July 11, 2011.
  10. Sullivan, Al. "Need a superhero? Marist art show features heroic art", The Hudson Reporter, April 14, 2011. Accessed July 11, 2011.
  11. Mota, Caitlin (March 22, 2017). "Another Catholic high school will close unless big money is raised". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  12. Mota, Caitlin (March 22, 2017). "Marist hopeful $1.5M will be raised to keep school open: 'we can do it'". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  13. Mota, Caitlin (April 30, 2017). "It's official: Marist High School will remain open next school year". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  14. Mota, Caitlin (December 14, 2017). "Nearly forced to close, this Catholic high school may be getting more good news". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  15. West, Teri. "Marist High School in Bayonne announces it will close in June", The Jersey Journal, January 9, 2020. Accessed January 9, 2020. "Marist High School, one of Hudson County’s last Catholic high schools, will close in June amid dwindling enrollment and mounting annual financial loss, the school’s administration announced Wednesday.... With just 235 students, the school loses over $1 million a year and can no longer sustain itself, President Peter Kane said.... Yet, enrollment has continued to flounder, dropping by 20% in the last four years. Today’s enrollment is less half of what it was in 2008."
  16. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  17. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  18. NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023. Source shows that Marist won the Parochial A South title.
  19. Burrows, Walt. "Rams lose a game, but win admiration", Courier-Post, December 5, 1994. Accessed January 17, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "In the end, it didn't matter that Gloucester Catholic High School lost to Marist by three points in Sunday's Parochial Group 2 state championship football game. In the opinion of coach Tom Iacovone, the Rams far exceeded even his own expectations. "I certainly didn't expect to be competing at this level, that's for sure," Iacovone said after his team's 16-13 loss to Marist at Giants Stadium."
  20. NJSIAA Group Basketball Past Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  21. Zeitlinger, Ron. "Hudson County coaching legend Bill DeFazio dies; led St. Anthony, Marist to state titles", The Jersey Journal, November 17, 2010. Accessed December 2, 2015. "During his 19 seasons at the Bayonne school, DeFazio added four more sectional titles to his resume, the most recent coming in 2008 when the Royal Knights defeated Gill St. Bernard in the Non-Public, North B final."
  22. NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 10, 2023.
  23. Kurland, Bob. "Pitching In Majors Fulfills Borowski's Other Dream", The Record, August 27, 1995. Accessed July 15, 2007. "The 24-year-old native of Bayonne even has had a taste of pitching for the Baltimore Orioles. The All-State tight end at Marist High School calls football 'my true love.' But baseball beckoned."
  24. Steadman, Andrew. "Tom Considine, Marist Class of 1982 and leading NJ banker, talks to senior students about money management", The Jersey Journal, February 16, 2012. Accessed February 10, 2018. "It takes a lifetime to build good credit and only a few poor decisions to ruin it, Commissioner of Banking and Insurance Tom Considine told a group of high school seniors at Marist High School.... Considine, a Class of ‘82 Marist graduate, gave examples from his trial-and-error approach to money management as a young man."
  25. Schneider, Jeremy. "Boys Basketball: Marist guard Asante Gist transfers to St. Anthony", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 9, 2015, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed January 16, 2022. "Asante Gist has transferred to St. Anthony, the former Marist and Roselle Catholic guard confirmed to NJ Advance Media on Wednesday."
  26. Staff. "Obituary of Anthony Longo", Asbury Park Press, November 6, 2015. Accessed September 30, 2017. "Tony was born in Jersey City NJ, attended OLM Grammar School, Marist High School in Bayonne, and the University of Rhode Island (URI) where he studied Drama."
  27. Rutkoff, Aaron. "Garden State Tolkien: Q&A With George R.R. Martin", The Wall Street Journal, July 8, 2011. Accessed July 11, 2011. "Mr. Martin, 62 years old, says that he grew up in a federal housing project in Bayonne, which is situated on a peninsula.... 'My four years at Marist High School were not the happiest of my life,' the author admits, although his growing enthusiasm for writing comics and superhero stories first emerged during this period."
  28. Passantino, Ed. "Masters at their games; Three from Bayonne selected for Hudson Sports Hall of Fame", The Hudson Reporter, November 5, 2014. Accessed October 25, 2017. "Following great runs at Marist High School and Merrimack College, where he led Division II in scoring and was a three-time All American, Murphy moved on to professional basketball in Europe, where he became a league MVP and played on championship teams."
  29. Villanova, Patrick. "Marist High School's Manny Suarez verbally commits to Fordham University", The Jersey Journal, October 24, 2012, updated January 18, 2019. Accessed December 26, 2021. "Suarez, who played in 14 games last season after transferring to the Bayonne Catholic school from Cliffside Park, averaged 16 points and 12.7 rebounds per game."
  30. Armstrong, Kevin. "Coach's Career Risk Keeps Paying Off at St. John's", The New York Times, January 26, 2010. Accessed October 9, 2017. "When she called her boyfriend, Larry Arico (pronounced uh-REE-koh), then the football coach at Fairleigh Dickinson, he asked her how the game went. We lost by 100,' she said. 'I didn't believe her,' Arico, now her husband as well as the athletic director and football coach at Marist High in Bayonne, N.J., said Monday."
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