By Stephen Appezzato
MIDDLETOWN – According to township and parish officials, Middletown will purchase the former Mater Dei High School property and surrounding fields, currently owned by St. Mary’s Catholic Church, preserving the site for open space.
Last week, the Middletown Township governing body and Rev. Jeff Kegley, pastor of the Parish of Saint Mary, revealed an agreement was reached for the $11.75 million sale of the 20-acre property. The township committee is scheduled to introduce the ordinance greenlighting the purchase at its April 7 meeting, with a public hearing and final vote slated for April 28.
Following the purchase, the site will be transformed into Mater Dei Park. According to the township, the building, which no longer meets modern standards, is scheduled for interior demolition soon. Following the deal closing, residents can access the existing recreational facilities, like the outdoor track, football field and four baseball fields. The track will be the township’s first and only outdoor track. The former high school, which opened in 1961 and closed in 2022 due to declining enrollment, will be memorialized in the park’s name.
“The decision to sell was not taken lightly, but we believe it is in the best interest of our parish and the broader community,” said Kegley. “It will secure our parish’s future and the mission for Catholic education in our town. We see this as an opportunity to strengthen our community, both spiritually and socially.”
The parish will dedicate the largest portion of funds from the sale of the property to its student endowment fund for Saint Mary School, which is run by the parish and serves students age 2 through eighth grade. According to Kegley, Saint Mary School and parish operations will continue and “are not affected by this decision.”
“Proceeds from the endowment will support long-term educational initiatives. Remaining funding from the sale will be dedicated to the maintenance and upkeep of the parish and Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Shrine, as well as to religious education programs that nurture the spiritual growth of the community,” a release read.
Following the sale, the parish will still have access to the property. “This ensures that the land remains a community asset, promoting health, recreation, and community spirit rather than being developed into condos or additional buildings,” Kegley said. The township has also partnered with the church to maintain shared access to the parking lot, serving park visitors and churchgoers. According to the township, the parish’s seasonal events and fairs will continue, too.
For Mater Dei graduates, the new park can preserve memories made at the school and honor the parish’s goal of providing a Catholic school education to local students.
“I think that people cared so much about the school and they loved it while they were there,” said Mater Dei alumna and Middletown resident Cathy Daniels. “The idea that the legacy of Mater Dei would be preserved in this modern-day park is a really, really nice thing – and certainly better than some of the alternatives,” she noted.
At this time there are no specific plans for the former high school site. “The Township’s focus remains squarely on preservation, open space, and expanding recreational access for the community,” a statement read.
The Parish of Saint Mary was founded in 1879 and currently serves more than 4,200 families. Its former secondary school, Mater Dei Prep, operated for 61 years but, in June 2022, due to declining enrollment and financial shortfalls, the school was shuttered for good. The school’s closure was initially announced in 2015; however, fundraising efforts and the creation of a nonprofit separating the school from the parish and Diocese of Trenton kept it open for seven more years.
In 2023, the school building and grounds were used to film the 2024 musical remake of “Mean Girls.” Last year, College Achieve Public Schools (CAPS), a charter school, eyed the former Mater Dei grounds, planning to bus students from Asbury Park and Neptune to the location, but that plan did not come to fruition.
If the township committee approves the ordinance April 28, funds from Middletown’s Open Space Trust Fund and the Monmouth County Open Space Trust Fund will cover the $11.75 acquisition. According to Mayor Tony Perry, the county will cover approximately 75% of the sale.
Since Middletown’s trust fund was established in 1998, the township has preserved 275 acres and spent more than $30 million on conservation and recreation. After residents approved increasing the trust fund collection rate in a 2024 referendum, its annual funding grew to about $7.4 million.
“This is a proud and historic day for Middletown,” Perry said in a release. “The preservation of the Mater Dei property ensures that this cherished land – where countless memories have been made – will remain an open recreational space for our community for generations to come. We’ve turned the page from uncertainty to opportunity.”
The article originally appeared in the April 3 – 9, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
