Type Private, Coeducational Established 1863 Closed June 2012 Number of students 210 (2009–2010) Founded 1863 | Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic Status Closed Oversight Archdiocese of Newark Phone +1 908-353-5220 Colors Yellow, White, Green | |
Address 397 Columbia Ave, Hillside, NJ 07205, USA | ||
St. Patrick High School Academy was a co-educational four-year Catholic high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States. The school operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The school was founded as a vocational school in 1863 as part of Saint Patrick's Parish in Elizabeth, making it the oldest parochial high school in New Jersey. The school was closed in June 2012 by the Newark Archdiocese in the face of increasing costs and declining enrollment, though administrators and parents affiliated with the defunct school opened an independent non-denominational school located on Morris Avenue in Elizabeth called "The Patrick School" in September 2012.
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As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 210 students and 16.8 faculty members (on an FTE basis), resulting in a student–teacher ratio of 12.5:1.
St. Patrick High School had been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools since 1992.
Athletics
St. Patrick High School's athletic program was most noted for a storied boys basketball program that has produced numerous college and professional level players. For nearly 20 years, under the direction of head coach Kevin Boyle, the team captured multiple New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) sectional and state titles as well as five NJSIAA Tournament of Champions titles (1998, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009). They have gained recognition from multiple national media outlets and have been a staple in many national rankings, including the ESPN RISE Fab 50, USA Today Super 25, and the Max Preps Top 25.
In 2000, the boys basketball team won the Parochial North B sectional title with a 77-56 win over Paterson Catholic High School in the tournament final.
In 2003, the boys basketball team won the Non-Public, North B sectional title with a 76-64 win against Paterson Catholic. The team advanced to take the Parochial Group B State championship with an 86-56 win against Cardinal McCarrick High School. The team took the title in the 2003 Boys Basketball Tournament of Champions, defeating Camden Catholic High School in the tournament final.
The team won the Non-Public, North B sectional title in 2005 with a 77-62 win against Paterson Catholic. The team fell short in the final game of the 2005 Boys Basketball Tournament of Champions, falling 63-60 to Seton Hall Preparatory School.
The team took the 2006 Non-Public Group B State Championship with an 83-57 win against Wildwood Catholic High School. The team won the 2006 Tournament of Champions with a 61-54 win against Linden High School. The team ended the season ranked 11th in the nation by USA Today in its final 2006 rankings.
The 2007 boys basketball team won the North B state sectional championship with a 62-46 win against St. Anthony High School. The team moved on to win the Non-Public Group B State Championship with an 85-56 victory against Wildwood Catholic. The team won the 2007 Boys Basketball Tournament of Champions for the second consecutive year with an 85-61 win over Bloomfield Tech High School; Corey Fisher (Villanova University) broke the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions final record by scoring 32 points. The team was ranked second in the nation by USA Today in its final rankings for 2007, falling just short of the top spot in the newspaper's calculations.
Coming on the heels of his team's second consecutive Tournament of Champions win, boys basketball head coach Kevin Boyle was selected as the 2007 Coach of the Year by USA Today. Through the 2007 season, Boyle had coached the team to a 407-120 record in his 19 seasons with the team, including a 58-6 record in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
In 2009, the boys basketball team captured its third NJSIAA Tournament of Champions Title in four years, beating Science Park High School 73-57. Along the way winning the Non-Public B North Sectional title beating Paterson Catholic 79-54, and the Non-Public B state title defeating Trenton Catholic Academy 76-62. Finishing one of the most successful seasons in the school's illustrious basketball history with a record of 30-3. Ranked #3 nationally in the ESPN Rise Fab 50 and #4 nationally in the USA Today Super 25.
In 2010, the NJSIAA executive committee banned St. Patrick's boys basketball team from competing in the 2010 state tournament and suspended head coach Kevin Boyle for three games after it had come to light that the team had violated state regulations when Boyle had attended and been involved in unsanctioned off-season workouts. Guidelines stipulate that coaches are not allowed to be involved in basketball related activities prior to Thanksgiving Day, which according to the NJSIAA is the official start of the basketball season. These sessions were intentionally video taped by a former state police officer hired by the NJSIAA. St. Patrick's argued that taping these events violated the players' constitutional rights, and were therefore unlawful evidence. Despite being unable to defend their 2009 Tournament of Champions title, the team had finished 26-3 including winning the MaxPreps Holiday Classic in San Diego.