Our Lady of Hope Regional School
Our Lady of Hope Regional School is a private Catholic school serving students from Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade. Located in the Blackwood section of Gloucester Township, New Jersey, it operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden and was established in 2008 as a result of merging the former Saint Agnes School and Saint Jude Regional School in Blackwood. It is supported by several local parishes and emphasizes Catholic faith, service, and community in its mission. The curriculum follows diocesan guidelines and New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards.
The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the National Catholic Educational Association.
As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 335 students and 22.9 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 14.6:1.
History
Our Lady of Hope Regional School opened for the 2008–09 school year, following the consolidation of St. Agnes School and St. Jude Regional School in Blackwood. This merger was part of a broader diocesan reorganization: the two Blackwood parishes themselves united in 2010 to form Our Lady of Hope Parish. The new school combined the resources and traditions of its predecessors, aiming to serve the Catholic families of Gloucester Township and neighboring areas. Sister Paula Randow, a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, had been principal of St. Jude’s School and continued as founding principal of the merged school for many years.In March 2019, a fire broke out at the school. The fire occurred shortly before 8 a.m., when classes had been canceled due to a snowstorm, and no students were present. Smoke was reported coming from the roof, and firefighters brought the blaze under control within approximately 45 minutes. The fire caused significant damage to classrooms in the "specials wing", used for art, library, science, and computer lab instruction. The Gloucester Township Fire Marshal suspected an electrical short in the attic as the cause. The affected areas were temporarily closed while repairs were made, and classes resumed once restoration was completed. In recent years, the school has expanded its early childhood offerings: in 2023 it received a $12,000 diocesan grant that funded the addition of a third Pre-K4 classroom, raising its pre-school capacity and contributing to a surge in enrollment.