The Patrick School (TPS) is an independent co-educational four-year high school in Hackettstown, New Jersey, United States. The school was established in 2012 following the closure of St. Patrick High School, which was a co-educational four-year Catholic high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, that operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of NewarkCatholic Secondary Schools: Union County , Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Accessed July 25, 2007. and had been 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.Welcome to Saint Patrick High School , St. Patrick High School. Accessed July 25, 2007. The Patrick School originally operated on the site in Elizabeth that had been St. Patrick High School and the school has continued to carry on the legacy of its predecessor even after its move to Hillside.Calle, Franklyn. "The Journey: Jonathan Kuminga is Living Out His Hoop Dreams", Slam, November 22, 2019. Accessed July 16, 2020. "Sitting in an empty gymnasium on a Wednesday afternoon in late September, Jonathan Kuminga is catching his breath after participating in a series of scrimmages as part of The Patrick School’s open gym fall sessions. The school’s walls depict the rich history of its basketball program, which dates back to when it was located in Elizabeth, New Jersey, under the St. Patrick High School label.... The following fall, a group of faculty came together to reopen the institution as an independent program known today as The Patrick School, which now operates out of Hillside, NJ."
The Patrick School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools through July 2029.The Patrick School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Accessed January 26, 2025.
The Patrick School reached an agreement with Centenary University in December 2024 that relocated TPS to the university's campus in Hackettstown, with students also having the option to live on campus."CU Signs Use Agreement with National High School Basketball Powerhouse The Patrick School", Centenary University, December 9, 2024. Accessed January 26, 2025. "Centenary University has announced a historic agreement with the nationally ranked high school basketball powerhouse The Patrick School (TPS). In this agreement, TPS will relocate to the Centenary University campus in Hackettstown, NJ. TPS, a private school which had been located in Hillside, NJ, is leasing space from the University to enhance the 6th through 12th grade school’s ability to provide the highest quality academic, athletic, and residential opportunities for their students. Through the agreement, which was unanimously approved by the Hackettstown Land Use Board, members of The Patrick School’s elite boys basketball program, which is ranked number nine in the country in preseason polls, will live and take classes on Centenary’s campus, as well as practice in the University’s Reeves Athletic Facility."
History
In the 2009–2010 school year, St. Patrick High 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.Data for St. Patrick High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed October 23, 2011.
St. Patrick High School was closed in June 2012 by the Newark Archdiocese in the face of increasing costs and declining enrollment, despite the school's reputation as a basketball powerhouse.Strunsky, Steve. "Financial constraints force closure of St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 27, 2012. Accessed July 2, 2025. "Dwindling enrollment, a desperate financial situation and the lowest SAT scores of the 31 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Newark led the archbishop to decide to close basketball powerhouse St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, a diocesan official said.... Despite its nationally known basketball program that included a 26-1 finish in 2010-11, St. Patrick’s failed to recruit enough students to keep enrollment from slipping and closing rumors spread."
After the school closed, the Elizabeth Public Schools occupied the school building with the new iPrep Academy School No. 8 starting in the 2013–14 school year."Two new schools join the Elizabeth Public Schools family", Suburban News, September 10, 2013. Accessed July 2, 2025. "One of the new Elizabeth schools is iPrep Academy School No. 8, located on Court Street in Elizabethport. iPrep Academy is a 1-to-1 School, meaning all students are provided access to either tablet or notebook computers for classroom instruction.... In addition to being one of Elizabeth Public Schools ‘newest’ schools, iPrep is also one of the district’s most historic - as it is located on the site of the former St Patrick’s High School."
The Patrick School Following the closing of St. Patrick High School, administrators and parents affiliated with the defunct school opened a new independent private school located on Morris Avenue in Elizabeth called "The Patrick School" in September 2012.Stanmyre, Matthew. "Recently closed St. Patrick High closing in on new location", The Star-Ledger, July 20, 2012. Accessed April 9, 2013. "The Archdiocese of Newark — which had provided oversight for St. Patrick — decided to close the school June 30 because of dwindling enrollment and serious financial struggles.The Patrick School will re-open in the fall as a private school out of the Archdiocese's oversight. The new school has commitments from about 150 students, Picaro said."Araton, Harvey. "A Faith Is Tested, and Then Renewed", The New York Times, February 27, 2013. Accessed April 9, 2013. "To mark the one-year anniversary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark’s announcement that it would close St. Patrick — forcing it to soldier on as the nondenominational, grades 7-to-12 Patrick School — Picaro’s beloved boys basketball team will begin state tournament play on Friday, a triumph in itself."
Despite being a new independent private school, the Patrick School retains a connection to the old St. Patrick High School, and its alumni base. In January 2018, NBA star Kyrie Irving, an alumnus of St. Patrick, donated a new gym to The Patrick School.Schneider, Jeremy. "Kyrie Irving funds Patrick School gym renovation: Once a Celtic, always a Celtic", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 7, 2018. Accessed July 26, 2018. "The program finally got a gym when it moved to a new building in Hillside in 2016, but it still needed serious work. Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving, one of the program's most prominent graduates, made sure the work got done. Irving paid to have Patrick School's gym renovated and build the team a new locker room, lounge and weight room."
Athletics The Patrick School Celtics / Lady Celtics competed in basketball under the auspices of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).Patrick School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. The Patrick School lost its NJSIAA membership in December 2020, after it established more than one competitive basketball team.Tredinnick, Andrew; and Miller, Zach. "High school basketball powerhouse loses NJSIAA membership", Courier News, December 9, 2020. Accessed February 20, 2021. "The Patrick School, which wishes to field multiple varsity basketball teams, has been removed as an NJSIAA member, the organization announced during Wednesday's executive committee meeting."
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 NJSIAA sectional and state titles as well as five NJSIAA Tournament of Champions titles (1998, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2009).NJSIAA Boys Basketball Tournament of Champions History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. 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.
The boys basketball team won the Non-Public Group C state championship in 1947 (against runner-up St. Rose High School in the playoff final), 1948 (vs. St. Rose), 1961 (vs. St. Joseph High School of Hammonton), 1966 (vs. Wildwood Catholic High School), 1967 (vs. Sacred Heart High School) and 1971 (vs. Sacred Heart), and won the Non-Public B title in 1998 (vs. Saint Augustine Preparatory School), 2000 (vs. St. Augustine), 2003 (vs. Cardinal McCarrick High School), 2005 (vs. Cardinal McCarrick) and 2006 (vs. Wildwood Catholic), 2007 (vs. Wildwood Catholic), 2016 (vs. Trenton Catholic Academy) and 2017 (vs. Hudson Catholic Regional High School). The program's 14 state titles are tied for second in the state.Boys Basketball Championship History 1919-2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed March 26, 2024.
The team 1967 pulled ahead early, building a 20-point lead by the middle of the second period and won the Parochial C state title, the program's fifth, with a 74–50 win against Sacred Heart in the championship game."Parochial C-St. Patrick's", Asbury Park Press, March 19, 1967. Accessed March 12, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "St. Patrick's of Elizabeth scored 11 straight points in the first period, added 13 more at the start of the second quarter and coasted to a 74-50 victory over Sacred Heart of Vineland and the Parochial 'C' championship. In winning its fifth state crown and second in a row, St. Patrick's had little trouble out-shooting, outrebounding and out running Sacred Heart, which reached the finals for the first time."
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.Parochial Sectional - Parochial North B, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 25, 2007.
In 2003, the boys basketball team won the Non-Public, North B sectional title with a 76–64 win against Paterson Catholic.2003 Boys Basketball - Non-Public, North B, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 25, 2007. The team advanced to take the Parochial Group B State championship with an 86–56 win against Cardinal McCarrick High School.2003 Boys Basketball - Parochial Finals, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 25, 2007. The team took the title in the 2003 Boys Basketball Tournament of Champions, defeating Camden Catholic High School in the tournament final.2003 Boys Basketball - Tournament of Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 25, 2007.
The team won the Non-Public, North B sectional title in 2005 with a 77–62 win against Paterson Catholic.2005 Boys Basketball - Non-Public, North B, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 25, 2007. The team fell short in the final game of the 2005 Boys Basketball Tournament of Champions, falling 63–60 to Seton Hall Preparatory School.2005 Boys Basketball - Tournament of Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 25, 2007.
The team took the 2006 Non-Public Group B State Championship with an 83–57 win against Wildwood Catholic High School.2006 Boys Basketball - Non-Public Finals, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 25, 2007. The team won the 2006 Tournament of Champions with a 61–54 win against Linden High School.2006 Boys Basketball - T of C, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 25, 2007. The team ended the season ranked 11th in the nation by USA Today in its final 2006 rankings.Lawlor, Christopher. "Final Super 25 boys' basketball rankings", USA Today, March 27, 2006.