St. Augustine Preparatory SchoolSchool Profile , St. Augustine Preparatory School. Accessed November 19, 2014. "St. Augustine Preparatory School is a college preparatory school located in southern New Jersey." is a private all-male Catholic college preparatory school located in the Richland section of Buena Vista Township, in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located on of wooded property, it serves students in eighth through twelfth grade from across South Jersey under the auspices of the Diocese of Camden.Our High Schools, Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. Accessed August 15, 2025.
The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1983Saint Augustine Preparatory School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 10, 2022. and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. St. Augustine was founded in 1959 by the Order of Saint Augustine as a minor seminary to help young men prepare for studies in the priesthood and religious life; the first class was a mixture of seminarians and day students.A Brief History of St. Augustine Prep , St. Augustine Preparatory School. Accessed November 19, 2014. The school is a member of the Augustinian Secondary Education Association.
The school added an eighth grade in the 2021-22 school year."South Jersey: St. Augustine Preparatory School to add an eighth-grade class for 2021-2022", Daily Journal, September 25, 2020. Accessed September 30, 2021. "St. Augustine College Preparatory School announced plans to expand the Hermit Brotherhood to include eighth graders beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year."
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 622 students and 47.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.1:1. The school's student body was 80.7% (502) White, 6.1% (38) Black, 5.5% (34) Hispanic, 5.1% (32) two or more races, 1.9% (12) Asian, 0.5% (3) American Indian / Alaska Native and 0.2% (1) Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander.School data for St Augustine Preparatory School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2025.
The school's graduating class of 2024 was offered over $55 million in scholarships.“The Class of 2024 Celebrates Commencement”, St. Augustine Preparatory School. Accessed December 7, 2024.
History Established in September 1959, the school's first senior class of 12 students graduated in 1963. The school's first Headmaster was Fr. Peter Toscani, OSA. Classes were first held in the Monastery, which was previously an estate named "Red Oaks". The first school building, Augustinian Hall, consisted of four classrooms and a gymnasium, which opened in 1960. The first expansion included the western wing of Augustinian Hall in 1967–68. The Spina Gymnasium was constructed in 1979-80 and the former gym was converted into classrooms and a chapel. The enrollment ranged between 150 and 210 students for many years.
The third expansion of facilities was the construction of the Edith Favretto Scarpa Arts and Sciences Building in 1998. The building houses most of the campus' computer labs, the media center, the library, and additional classrooms. Following that expansion, enrollment grew from 235 to 550. A minor renovation replaced the chapel with additional classrooms in 2000. The most recent addition to the school is The Louis and Josephine Buondonno Forum, or simply, "The Forum". Following the construction of the new building, enrollment increased to 650 students. In the Forum are the Rodio Gymnasium, the Consalo Dining hall, The Navone Swimming Pool, weight room, wrestling room, and additional classrooms.
In October 2014, the Prep dedicated the Navone Athletic Training Facility. The facility includes cross fit equipment, a batting cage, and a weight room. It is named in honor of its benefactor Paul Navone."Navone Athletic Training Facility a hit with students", Prep Talk, October 17, 2014. Accessed November 19, 2004.
In June 2011, longtime school President Fr. Paul Galetto was replaced by Donald F. Reilly, previously Prior Provincial of the Villanova province of the Augustinian Order, and previous chairman of the school's board of directors. The school announced in November 2016 that Robert J. Murray was designated to become the school's new president at the end of the 2016–2017 school year."St. Augustine Prep names Father Murray its next leader", Community Bulletin, November 29, 2016. Accessed February 1, 2017. "St. Augustine Preparatory announced Father Robert J. Murray, O.S.A., Ph.D., as the next leader at St. Augustine Preparatory School, Richland.... These two appointments, which will take effect following graduation in June 2017, underscore significant steps forward for the two schools, and a reinforcement of the commitment of the Augustinians to our educational apostolate."
Campus The school's campus consists of seven buildings set over of wooded property. The principal educational facilities are Augustinian Hall, The Louis & Josephine Buondonno Forum; Edith Favretto Scarpa Arts & Sciences Building; Vincent L. Buondonno Center; Greek Amphitheater; LaRosa Field; Turf Field; and the Navone Athletic Training Facility.
Athletic fields include 5 tennis courts; a lacrosse field; 2 practice football/mixed use fields; and 2 baseball fields.
Patron saint The school is named in honor of the 4th century saint, St. Augustine of Hippo, one of a few Augustinian friar schools in the United States and others throughout the world with this same patron saint. The North American foundation of the order dates back to 1796.
Student body In addition to Atlantic County, students reside in Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland. Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem counties.
Athletics The Saint Augustine Prep HermitsSaint Augustine Prep School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the National Division of the Cape-Atlantic League, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Gloucester counties that operates under the aegis of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. With 976 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public, Group A for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 381 to 1,454 students in that grade range (equivalent to South, Group 3 for public schools).NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The football team competes in the American Division of the 94-team West Jersey Football League superconferenceSt. Augustine Prep Hermits, West Jersey Football League. Accessed May 1, 2023.Home Page, West Jersey Football League. Accessed May 1, 2023. "The WJFL is a 94-school super conference that stretches from Princeton to Wildwood encompassing schools from the Colonial Valley Conference, the Burlington County Scholastic League, the Olympic Conference, the Tri-County Conference, the Colonial Conference, and the Cape Atlantic League. The WJFL is made up of sixteen divisions with divisional alignments based on school size, geography and a strength-of-program component." and was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group A (equivalent to Group III/IV/V for public schools) for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 738 to 1,404 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
School colors are navy blue and white. The school offers 22 inter-scholastic sports programs, including: football, soccer, cross country, basketball, swimming, ice hockey, wrestling, winter/spring track and field, chess, baseball, golf, tennis, crew, lacrosse, volleyball, fencing, bowling, sailing, squash, surfing, and rugby. St. Augustine teams have recently competed in state championships for baseball, hockey, tennis, basketball, golf, swimming, soccer, wrestling, lacrosse, and crew.
The boys' cross country team won the Non-Public Group C state championship in 1974 (as co-champion) and 1976-1978.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.