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St. Paul School in South Jersey raises $250,000, will remain open

After a frantic six-week fund-raising campaign, students and staff at St. Paul School breathed a huge sigh of relief Thursday.

St. Paul School pre-K teacher Christy Collins (back) rallies student Chase Pastor and the class together in the main entrance at the school in Burlington City, N.J., on Dec. 5, 2014. (Photo by Mark C. Psoras/File)
St. Paul School pre-K teacher Christy Collins (back) rallies student Chase Pastor and the class together in the main entrance at the school in Burlington City, N.J., on Dec. 5, 2014. (Photo by Mark C. Psoras/File)Read more

After a frantic six-week fund-raising campaign, students and staff at St. Paul School breathed a huge sigh of relief Thursday.

Faced with a do-or-die, they rallied to raise more than the $250,000 needed to save the parish school in Burlington City. Principal William Robbins called it a miracle.

"We did it," Robbins said. "We raised a quarter of a million dollars. Who would have thought it?"

Students and staff heard the news during morning prayer at the start of the school day. "They all gave a standing ovation and cheered," the principal said.

In December, Robbins set Thursday as the deadline to raise the funds to keep the school open for the 2015-16 school year. The pre-K-through-eighth-grade school has about 144 students.

Robbins wanted to give parents time to explore other school options, if needed. Registration begins this week for Catholic schools for the next school year.

Meanwhile, the 144-year-old school launched a feverish grassroots appeal, and organizers raced to raise the funds. They held an ugly-sweater dance-athon, car washes, and a Zumba-thon. In the first week alone, $25,000 was raised.

A thermometer on the school's website charted the fund-raising progress in the "Save St. Paul School" campaign. Parents, alumni, and businesses were asked to make donations. Students pledged a portion of their Christmas gifts to help the cause.

Finally, last weekend, a beef-and-beer pushed the campaign over the finish line, Robbins said. The sold-out event raised $70,000. Among the donations was a $25,000 check from an anonymous benefactor, he said.

"We are so excited and relieved," said parent Lucy Tomczynski, whose two children attend the school. "We are excited for what the future holds."

Robbins said the next step would be to boost enrollment to help the school become more sustainable. About $262,000 has been raised and donations are still coming in.

"We have to make sure this doesn't happen again," Robbins said. "We need to get the word out that we are here and we are here stay."

The school landed in dire fiscal straits after the Diocese of Trenton said it could no longer afford to subsidize schools to keep them open. This school year, the diocese provided $1.6 million and covered insurance premiums.

Two other diocesan schools, Holy Family School in Lakewood, Ocean County, and St. Denis School in Manasquan, Monmouth County, plan to close in June. Like other Catholic schools in the region, they have been faced with declining enrollment and financial difficulties.

"It is both gratifying and inspiring to see such an outpouring of support for a truly deserving Catholic school," diocesan spokeswoman Rayanne Bennett said. "We will pray that this tremendous effort will not only sustain the school but help it to thrive long into the future."

About 17,000 students are enrolled in 43 diocesan and parish schools.

St. Paul could have closed, too, but parish and school officials decided to embark on the fund-raising campaign. The school is in a close-knit community and generations have enrolled their children there.

"We did it and made our 'Don't stop believing' theme a reality," said parent volunteer Susan Troise, whose daughter, Caroline, is a sixth grader at the school.

The school had about 500 students a decade ago. It was founded in 1870 and is part of the Parish of St. Katharine Drexel.

A party will be held for the school at the end of the month to cap the end of Catholic Schools Week, Robbins said. The Rev. Michael Dunn, pastor of St. Katharine Drexel, plans to meet with parents Friday to discuss the school's future.

"We really do believe it was a miracle," Robbins said. "We had lots of prayers, lots of support, and all those things came together."