Elizabeth (N.J.) district buys vacant Catholic school for $5.5 million

The Elizabeth (N.J.) district is addressing its growing enrollment by buying a former Catholic girls' high school campus.

NJ.com reports that the district has paid $5.5 million for the property that includes Benedictine Academy in Elizabeth, N.J. The school closed last year.

Elizabeth is New Jersey’s third largest school district (after Newark and Jersey City) with 30,400 students. The district had about 1,500 new students register over the summer.

According to purchase documents, the site acquired consists of more than 5.12 acres. District officials want to build a new school on the property that would serve over 1,000 students.

In the meantime, Superintendent Olga Hugelmeyer has recommended that the school board “utilize Benedictine Academy immediately for the purpose of serving our special needs children that are in self contained classrooms.”

Hugelmeyer said two of the district's school buildings sustained severe damage in Tropical Storm Ida, and some of the displaced programs could be housed at the newly acquired property.

The superintendent said the district plans to move a bilingual magnet program to the Benedictine Academy property.