Marylawn Blames Finances for School Closing

The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, who oversee Marylawn of the Oranges Academy and are based in Convent Station, confirmed on Wednesday that the school is closing in June. The Sisters made a statement about the school's closing, citing finances as the primary reason. The school also pledges to find schools for students currently enrolled.

The full text of the statement is here:

The sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, supported by wonderful lay faculty, have provided a well-rounded Catholic education for young women from South Orange and the surrounding communities at Marylawn of the Oranges Academy for over seventy-seven years.

Over these years there have been many successes and, more recently, there have been serious challenges.  On Tuesday, October 9, 2012 after long efforts to overcome these difficulties which included: a serious decline in enrollment, the costs of sustaining a school with an increasing deficit, and, the inability to find donors for the school as well as for financial aid and scholarship assistance; with deep sadness, the Board approved the following resolution:

We thank and commend the Sisters of Charity for their overwhelming, generous financial and moral support of the Mission of Marylawn of the Oranges. We thank them for their generous offer of financial support for the 2012-2013 school year.

Given the costs of continuing and sustaining a school with a projected decline in enrollment and increasing deficit, we recommend to the Corporation that Marylawn of the Oranges cease operations at the end of the 2012-2013 academic year.

The Corporation unanimously accepted the Resolution.

The Board of Trustees expressed gratitude to Dr. Christine Lopez, principal, and the entire Faculty and staff for their continued support of the mission of the school and the students.

Every effort will be made to assist the students in transitioning to other schools. Contacts will be made with other Catholic elementary and high schools to provide information and placement possibilities for students, faculty and staff. Marylawn continues its tradition of excellence until June 2012.

The closing of any school is a time of great sadness for students, faculty, staff, families, alumnae, and trustees. The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth ask for your continued support as we assist the Marylawn of the Oranges community through this difficult time.