In just the past five years, more than 30 Catholic schools in New Jersey have shut down.

The latest is Immaculate Conception School in Spotswood, where parents are making a heroic effort to keep the school alive. Before that, we lost Immaculate Conception High School in Lodi, which had been open for 108 years.

The reasons are well-known: rising costs, declining enrollment, and financial pressure.

But the impact is deeply personal—for the students who lose their classrooms, the teachers who lose their jobs, and the communities that lose a trusted foundation.

These schools aren’t just academic institutions. They provide moral grounding, close-knit environments, and a long tradition of service. They often serve as essential alternatives in areas where public school options are limited or overstretched.

We’re calling on the New Jersey Senate to step up and act create and pass legislation that offers support to Catholic and other non-public schools at risk of closure — through emergency aid, shared services, access to state facility grants, or partnerships that help keep these schools open.

This is not about religion — it’s about preserving educational choice, community stability, and decades of service to families across New Jersey.

If we do nothing, more closures will follow. More communities will be left with empty buildings and broken traditions.

New Jersey’s Catholic schools are worth fighting for. We urge the Senate to lead.