The North Arlington Catholic school hit the $1M mark Tuesday night
NORTH ARLINGTON -- A Catholic high school avoided a fate that has befallen scores of parochial academic institutions nationally when it reached a $1 million fundraising goal to remain open.
Queen of Peace High School reached the milestone Tuesday night, the 86-year-old school announced on its website, overshooting its goal by about $35,000.
In May, the Archdiocese of Newark announced that the school would shut its doors due to declining enrollment unless the funds were raised.A spokesman for the archdiocese also blamed increasing property taxes, which have left many parents no choice but to send their children to the schools they are required to pay for.
Queen of Peace may close its doors
The school, which educated generations of youth from throughout region, benefited from a GoFundMe page that racked up about $10,000 in donations within hours after it was launched. Many alumni rallied to help keep their alma mater open.
"My high school gave me four of the best years of my life," wrote Brianna Rodriguez, a 2012 graduate of Queen of Peace who donated $100. "QPHS deserves a second chance because I know this school has amazing potential to shape the lives of future classes."
About half the needed funds, $450,000, came from two members of the Class of 1980, NorthJersey.com reported.
Queen of Peace is not the first Catholic high school in the state to reach a seven-figure fundraising goal in order to stay in business. Last year Mater Dei of Middletown was rescued by a campaign, "Save the Seraphs," that also raised $1 million.
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