Mater Dei Prep High School
Address
538 Church Street

Middletown Township
,
Monmouth County
,
New Jersey
07748

United States
Coordinates40°24′54″N 74°06′15″W / 40.4151°N 74.1042°W / 40.4151; -74.1042
Information
TypePrivate, Coeducational
MottoFide et Fortitudine[1]
(Faith and Fortitude[1])
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1961[2]
FounderMonsignor Robert T. Bulman[2]
Closed2022
School districtDiocese of Trenton
NCES School ID00867797[3]
PresidentDonald Galante[4]
PrincipalDebra Serafin[4][5]
Faculty21.4 FTEs[3]
Grades9–12
Enrollment223 (as of 2021–22)[3]
Student to teacher ratio10.4:1[3]
Color(s)  Navy blue
  Columbia blue and
  White[6][1]
SongSeraphs are a Powerhouse
Athletics conferenceShore Conference[7]
Team nameSeraphs[6][1]
RivalSaint John Vianney
AccreditationMiddle State Association of Colleges and Schools[8]
PublicationInsights (literary magazine)[9]
NewspaperThe Seraph[9]
YearbookTheotokos[9]
Tuition$13,545 (2022–23)[10]
Patron saintBlessed Virgin Mary
Websitewww.materdeiprep.org

Mater Dei Prep: A Catholic Preparatory School (commonly known as "Mater Dei High School") was a four-year Catholic coeducational high school that served students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the New Monmouth section of Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

Mater Dei used to be a part of St. Mary Parish and later operated under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton.[11] The school was accredited by the Middle State Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools[8] and was a member of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA).

In February 2015, the pastor of St. Mary Parish announced that the school would be closing at the end of the 2014-15 school year, in the wake of chronic fiscal deficits.[12] A few days after the announcement, it was disclosed that the Parish Finance Council had agreed to a two-month extension in order to raise the $1 million needed to remain open.[13] Through the Seraph's Fund, and efforts by the student body, $1 million was raised in a two-month span and the school was able to open for the 2015-16 school year.[14]

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 223 students and 21.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.4:1. The school's student body was 66.4% (148) White, 15.7% (35) Hispanic, 11.7% (26) Black, 4.0% (9) Asian and 2.2% (5) two or more races.[3]

On May 9, 2022, it was announced that the school would be closing at the end of the school year due to a dramatic decline in enrollment.[15]

History

The school was founded in September 1961 by the Reverend Monsignor Robert T. Bulman and is located on a small portion of the parish's 32-acre (130,000 m2) campus.[16] The school attracts students from over 30 parochial, private, and public schools in Monmouth County and Middlesex County. The school maintains an average enrollment of 435 students in grades nine through twelve.

The virtual learning program began in 2005 and ended in 2010. Virtual learning classes included all levels, including Advanced Placement, in Math, Foreign Languages (Latin, Italian, and Chinese) as well as History.

Athletics

The Mater Dei Prep Seraphs[6] compete in Division B Central of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties along the Jersey Shore.[7][17] The conference operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[18] With 212 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).[19] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group III for football for 2018–2020.[20]

The school participates as the host school / lead agency for joint cooperative football team with Ranney School. The co-op program operates under an agreement scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[21]

The boys track team won the Non-Public Group B spring / outdoor track state championship in 1967, 1973, 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2017-2019. The program has won 10 state titles, which is tied for eighth-most among all schools in New Jersey[22] In June 2018, the team set numerous school records and took home both a sectional title and their second consecutive Non-Public B group state title.[23]

The baseball team won the Non-Public B South championship in 1967, 1968 and 1970.[24]

The girls cross country team won the Group I state championship in 1976, 1977, 1987, 1991 and 1992, and won the Non-Public Group B state title in 1982-1985. The nine state championships won by the program are ranked fifth in New Jersey.[25]

The girls basketball team won the Group I state championship in 1980 (defeating Benedictine Academy in the tournament final) and won the Non-Public Group B title in 1990 (vs. Immaculate Conception High School of Montclair).[26] The team won the 1980 Group I title with a 64-52 win in the finals against Benedictine Academy.[27]

The boys soccer team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 1981 and 1983, against runner-up Eastern Christian High School both years in the finals of the tournament.[28] The 1983 team finished the season with a 16-4 record after defeating Eastern Christian by a score of 3-1 at Mercer County Park in the Parochial B finals.[29]

The boys tennis team won the Non-Public B/C state championship in 1981, defeating Oratory Preparatory School in the final match of the tournament.[30]

The girls spring track team was the Group I state champion in 1981 and won the Non-Public Group B title in 1982, 1983 and 2000.[31]

The boys track team won the indoor track state championship in Non-Public Group B in 1981.[32]

The girls tennis team won the Non-Public B state championship in 1982, defeating Pope John XXIII Regional High School 5-0 in the tournament final.[33][34]

The boys cross country running team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 1984, 1985, 1997, 1999, 2007 and 2017. The program's seven state titles are tied for tenth-most in the state.[35]

The softball team won the Group II state championship in 2008, defeating Montclair Kimberley Academy in the finals of the tournament.[36]

The football team won the Non-Public Group II state sectional championship in 2016, winning by a score of 26-20 in the tournament final against Holy Spirit High School on a touchdown scored on a hook and lateral play with 11 seconds left in the game.[37]

The boys track team won the indoor relay state championship in Non-Public Group B in 2018 and 2019. The girls team won the Group II title in 2013,[38] In 2018, the boys' winter / indoor track team finished their season with the program's first state indoor relay championship title and was runner-up in the Non-Public B state championships.[39]

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Facts & Figures, Mater Dei Prep. Accessed August 15, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Mission & Philosophy, Mater Dei Prep. Accessed August 15, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 School data for Mater Del Prep High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 1, 2023.
  4. 1 2 2010 - 2011 FACULTY & STAFF DIRECTORY, Mater Dei Prep. Accessed August 15, 2011.
  5. ↑ A Message from the Principal, Mater Dei Prep. Accessed February 7, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Mater Dei Prep, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  7. 1 2 Shore Conference Realignment for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Mater Dei Prep, Middle State Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 7, 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 Extracurricular Activities & Clubs, Mater Dei Prep. Accessed August 15, 2011.
  10. ↑ Tuition, Mater Dei Prep. Accessed February 7, 2022.
  11. ↑ School Finder, Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton. Accessed January 21, 2018.
  12. ↑ Spahr, Rob. "Mater Dei Prep in Middletown announces it will close in June", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 3, 2015. Accessed February 4, 2015. "Just days after a planned celebration for its 50th anniversary, Mater Dei Prep will reportedly close its doors. Citing a severe, multi-year financial deficit, Father Jeff Kegley - the pastor of St. Mary Parish - announced in a letter to parents on Tuesday that the coed Catholic high school would close in June at the end of its current school year."
  13. ↑ Kegley, Fr. Jeff. "ANNOUNCEMENT/Press Release: Parish announces extension for Mater Dei Prep to raise needed funds." Archived February 6, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Mater Dei Prep, February 5, 2015. Accessed February 9, 2015.
  14. ↑ Carino, Jerry. "Fundraising to save Mater Dei reaches $1 million goal", Asbury Park Press, March 26, 2015. Accessed May 22, 2023. "It seemed like a distant, almost impossible goal at the time: Raise $1 million in two months to keep Mater Dei Prep open.... Officers of The Seraph's Fund, a 501(c)3 organization spearheading the effort, announced Thursday morning that they had reached $1 million in binding pledges.... Once the $1 million is collected, it will ensure that the school will remain open in the fall."
  15. ↑ "N.J. Catholic high school will close its doors after dramatic drop in enrollment, officials say". May 9, 2022.
  16. ↑ "OK Site For New Catholic High School", The Daily Register, November 24, 1961. Accessed May 12, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The Township Committee Wednesday night granted a minor subdivision to St. Marys Catholic Church, New Monmouth, paving the way for the eventual construction of a Catholic high school. By virtue of the subdivision, the parish obtains 20.28 acres of land adjacent to the present elementary school site from the estate of James E. Griggs. In September, the parish started a freshman class at Mater Dei High School."
  17. ↑ Member Schools, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.
  18. ↑ League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 11, 2016.
  19. ↑ NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  20. ↑ NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2018–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, finalized August 2019. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  21. ↑ NJSIAA Fall Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  22. ↑ NJSIAA Boys Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  23. ↑ Carino, Jerry. "Track: Mater Dei Prep boys win another state title; wild meet for St. Rose's Antognoli", Asbury Park Press, June 2, 2018. Accessed January 20, 2018. "The Mater Dei Prep boys track team’s performance this weekend was the latter. The Seraphs racked up a whopping 99 points to defend their NJSIAA Non-Public B title at Central Regional High School.... He was motivated by Mater Dei’s second-place finish at February’s indoor Non-Public B meet, when Bishop Eustace nipped the Seraphs for the crown."
  24. ↑ NJSIAA Baseball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  25. ↑ NJSIAA Girls Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  26. ↑ NJSIAA Group Basketball Past Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  27. ↑ McLaughlin, Bill. "Mater Dei wins title in Group I", Asbury Park Press, March 22, 1982. Accessed January 17, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "At the moment when everyone connected with Mater Dei girls basketball was noisily celebrating the school's first state basketball championship, made possible by a 64-52 victory over Benedictine Academy in the NJSIAA Group I championship game, the handful of Seraph seniors on the team were quietly hugging and kissing at center court."
  28. ↑ NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  29. ↑ Amsel, Michael. "Mater Dei lands Parochial B title", Asbury Park Press, November 19, 1983. Accessed January 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Mater Dei soccer coach Tony Scorciolla was having trouble finding the right words to express his feeling of joy.... 'Something like this' was Scorciolla's way of describing the NJSIAA Parochial B soccer championship, which his Mater Dei team captured last night with a 3-1 victory over Eastern Christian at Mercer County Park."
  30. ↑ History of Boys' Team Tennis Championship Tournament, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  31. ↑ NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  32. ↑ NJSIAA Indoor Group Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  33. ↑ History of NJSIAA Girls Team Tennis Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Mater Dei set stage for Parochial showdown", Asbury Park Press, November 4, 1982. That much was made official at Mercer County Park, West Windsor Township, yesterday when undefeated Red Bank Catholic (21-0) and Mater Del (19-3) swept state honors in Parochial A and B, respectively to set up an all-Shore showdown next week, probably Tuesday at a site and time to be announced. Red Bank Catholic's Caseys blanked Immaculate Heart, 5-0, In Parochial A and Mater Del swept Pope John of Sparta Township, 5-0, in Parochial B."
  35. ↑ NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  36. ↑ NJSIAA Softball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  37. ↑ Zedalis, Joe. "Mater Dei game-winning hook-and-lateral is CBS MaxPreps national Video of the Week", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 6, 2016. Accessed December 11, 2016. "Mater Dei's game-winning hook-and-lateral play with 11 seconds to go in the Non-Public, Group 2 title game against Holy Spirit Saturday was named the CBS MaxPreps national Video of the Week."
  38. ↑ History of the NJSIAA Indoor Relay Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  39. ↑ Koob, Andrew. "A Night of Firsts: East Orange and Mater Dei boys, St. Dominic girls claim first indoor state relay titles", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 19, 2018. Accessed January 20, 2019. "All three did so as East Orange took home the Group 4 boys title, Mater Dei cruised to the Non-Public B boys championship and St. Dominic hoisted the Non-Public B girls trophy by the end of day two of a four-day stretch of relay championships.... Mater Dei made their first indoor state relay title look like a breeze, collecting 50 points in the first seven events en route to a 56-point performance."
  40. ↑ Oliwa, Lori Anne. "Mater Dei Prep Celebrates 50 Years of Musicals", The Monitor, July 3, 2014. Accessed February 3, 2020. "'The performing arts program at Mater Dei has produced a tremendous amount of talent,' Meenan added, noting the names Mary Kay Adams from television series The Guiding Light; Mark Lamura from All My Children; Ted Kurdyla, a producer and director in Hollywood; Kerrianne Spellman, a Broadway actress; Robert Harper; Emmy and Grammy Award-winner Trudy Craney; Hollywood actor and musician Bob McEvilly; Joe Rapolla, musical legend and current chair of the music department at Monmouth University; Robert Waldron, a well-known director; musician Robert Marriner, and actresses Kathy Smith Logan and Catherine Tarpey."
  41. ↑ Senator Joe Benning, Vermont General Assembly. Accessed January 5, 2018. "Joe Benning of Lyndon, Caledonia County, Republican, was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, on December 7, 1956. Occupation: trial lawyer. Joe graduated from Mater Dei High School in New Monmouth, New Jersey, in 1975"
  42. ↑ Hemhauser, Danielle. "Setting the stage: Setting the stage", Asbury Park Press, March 28, 2006. Accessed July 19, 2008. "Mater Dei High School is connected to Broadway through Gerard Canonico, 16, a junior from Matawan."
  43. ↑ Garafolo, Mike. "Monmouth County's Billy Devaney now making waves as GM of the St. Louis Rams", The Star-Ledger, April 21, 2009. Accessed July 20, 2011. "'He's very happy right now. And I can tell he is, too,' said Mike Corley, Devaney's best friend from before their days together at Mater Dei High School in New Monmouth.... It was a fitting career path for a self-proclaimed "draftnik" (before there were draftniks) who used to take the bus from Leonardo -- a section of Middletown -- to Port Authority in Manhattan to pick up a copy of Street & Smith's draft guide."
  44. ↑ Gillespie, Nick. "Really Strange Bedfellows IIA final word (for now) on libertarians vs. conservatives", Reason, December 20, 2001. Accessed February 3, 2020. "It's been a long, long while since I've been accused of impairing the morals of a minor (really). In fact, the last time I can remember such a claim being leveled against me was back in high school when I coaxed some classmates at good old Mater Dei High School into seeing Monty Python's Life of Brian rather than a less theologically charged movie."
  45. ↑ Staff. "Halloran-Marinella", Asbury Park Press, October 3, 1989. Accessed July 23, 2017. "Karen Marinella and Bob Halloran were married Aug. 12 at St. Bonaventure's Church.... The bridegroom graduated from Mater Dei High School, Middletown Township, and Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Va. He is the sports director for WCVX-TV 58, Hyannis."
  46. ↑ Patrick, Wally. "Former Middletown resident finds he likes life at Frank's Place", Asbury Park Press, October 19, 1987. Accessed February 13, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Robert Harper got his introduction to acting as a student at Mater Dei High School, Middletown Township, in the late '60s."
  47. ↑ "Mater Dei to present ‘50 Years of Musicals’ on June 18", The Monmouth Journal, June 13, 2014. Accessed February 3, 2020. "Many talented individuals graced the Mater Dei Prep stage during those years. Returning alumni slated to perform include Grammy- and Emmy-award-winner Trudy Craney; Hollywood producer and director Ted Kurdyla; Broadway, National and World Tour actors Kerrianne Spellman (Les Miserables) and David J.V. Meenan (A Chorus Line, 42nd Street); music legend Joe Rapolla; Hollywood actor and musician Robert McEvilly; director Robert Waldron; musician Robert Marriner; Kathy Smith Logan and Catherine Tarpey."
  48. ↑ Spoto, Mary Ann. "Long time Red Bank resident questions Brian Williams' Christmas mugging story", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 9, 2015. Accessed February 3, 2020. "Murphy's friend, actor and New Jersey native Mark LaMura, said Williams lives in a society that likes to build up celebrities and then tear them down. LaMura, who graduated Mater Dei High School in Middletown 10 years ahead of Williams, said he hopes the professional career of his fellow alumnus can survive."
  49. ↑ Prise, Kevin. "Ryan McCormick perseveres through pitfalls, earns first PGA Tour card", PGA Tour, October 25, 2023. Accessed January 17, 2024. "The younger McCormick was a four-year golf team captain at Mater Dei High School, which led to a successful college career at St. John’s – culminating with Big East Golfer of the Year honors in 2013-14."
  50. ↑ Chmiel, David. "His Heart Belongs to Jersey: Anchorman Brian Williams is as comfortable hosting Saturday Night Live as he is interviewing world leaders for NBC Nightly News. An avowed Springsteen fanatic, car nut, and adrenaline junkie, the Middletown native still clings to his Garden State roots.", New Jersey Monthly, June 9, 2008. Accessed July 20, 2011. "NBC anchor Brian Williams returns to Mater Dei High School in New Monmouth, where he was a member of the class of '77."
  51. ↑ Giase, Frank. "Red Bulls fire longtime assistant coaches Richie Williams, Des McAleenan", The Star-Ledger, February 28, 2011. Accessed July 20, 2011. "Williams, a Mater Dei graduate who played eight years in MLS, including stints with the MetroStars in 2001 and 2003, was entering his sixth year as an assistant coach, but he has been much more important to the team than that."
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