New Jersey day school plans to acquire campus of boarding school that is closing

The Pingry School, a K-12 day school with campuses in Basking Ridge, N.J. and Short Hills, N.J.  plans to acquire the campus of Purnell School in the Pottersville section of Bedminster Township, N.J.

The acquisition comes after Purnell School announced in February that it will cease operations after 57 years, at the end of the 2020-21. The private boarding school for high school girls fell victim to ongoing challenges related to enrollment and financial sustainability.

The Pingry School says it plans to use the Purnell campus to expand programming for its 1,177 existing students and 290 employees.

The 82-acre Pottersville campus has 22 buildings: community and collaboration spaces, classrooms and labs, an indoor athletic facility, a performing arts building, residential space for students, and housing for employees. It also has a community "quad" and several athletic fields.

Purnell School received multiple offers to acquire the campus. Ultimately, The Pingry School was chosen because of its educational mission.

The Pingry School says it will carry on the Purnell legacy by establishing the Purnell Scholarship Fund at Pingry.