History
 

Hanover Township was settled in 1685.  The majority of inhabitants at that time were farmers.  During the period from 1700 to 1950, a steady growth of industrial development took place in concert with the close proximity of major vehicular arteries. With industry, came jobs and the demand for homes.  The 1926 purchase of thirty-seven acres of land on Whippany Road by Bell Telephone (Bell Laboratories) contributed heavily to making Hanover Township a location of choice for homeowners. Today, the former Bell Laboratories is Alcatel-Lucent, recognized as one of the largest employers in Morris County.

During the 1950's, Hanover Township experienced a "housing boom" with the Township population tripling.  In the 1970's, the road adjacent to our school was extended east into the Heritage Woods Housing Development. The continuing growth of Morris County's corporate sector put pressure for expansion on the Morristown Airport. Today the airport is the home to a wide variety of corporate and private aircraft tenants.  In fact, it is the State's second busiest airport behind Newark International Airport. It is also noteworthy that Morristown Airport is one of the few airports in the State with a fully active control tower.

In response to growth within the County and the Township, ground was broken in 1954 for Our Lady of Mercy Church and Elementary School.  Doors of the school opened the following year with an enrollment of 234 children.  By 1967 enrollment had grown to 370.  Growth within the Township demanded an increase in municipal services and corresponding real estate taxes.  It is believed that the increasing financial pressures being felt by homeowners played a key role in the 1967 decline in enrollment to 160 students. Following the trend, the elementary school of Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel in Cedar Knolls, closed its doors.  As a result, 80 children transferred to Our Lady of Mercy.  Total enrollment now stood at 230 students, with both the facilities of Notre Dame and Our Lady of Mercy in service but under the auspices of Our Lady of Mercy School.

During this period of "change" the "teaching nuns" at the school began to diminish in number, while operating costs rose.  The need to hire and pay secular teachers, coupled with rising operating costs placed Our Lady of Mercy in the difficult position of having to eliminate grades six, seven and eight.

The 1980's saw the renewed interest of parents in private/parochial school education for their children. In 1987, and in response to the purported demand, Our Lady of Mercy elected to once again expand to grades one through eight, by adding one grade per each successive school year.  In addition, the need for expanded services at the Pre-School, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten levels was confirmed and maintained.

Unfortunately, the demand for grades six, seven and eight did not materialize and in 1992-93 the School Education Council, in collaboration with parents, staff and administration agreed to discontinue the grades six to eight expansion plan, while maintaining the existing and vibrantly stable Pre-School through Grade Five core.

The Education Council 1992-93 study noted that Our Lady of Mercy School continues to play a vital role within Hanover Township offering the only viable alternative to parents seeking private-parochial education for their children.  It was further noted that students from the school integrate well into the Township's Middle School (grades six to eight) and on average, excel academically. Parents of Our Lady of Mercy School former students report above-average performance of children in both High School and College. They attribute this to the sound academic knowledge base and disciplined study habits the children acquired while students at Our Lady of Mercy. It is this mission, together with the modeling of quality moral and ethical standards of behavior, that makes the school an attractive option for children during their formative years.

Today, enrollment stands at 175, and the outlook for next year is consistent with expectations of stability and growth.  Our Lady of Mercy School both acknowledges and accepts its role in Hanover Township and views itself as an integral part of the Township's educational fabric. To this end, communications with the Middle School, in particular are cooperative and objective, with the best interests of the children being the primary consideration. Our collaborative efforts continue to bear fruit.

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Copyright © 2008 Our Lady of Mercy Academy
Last modified: 08/12/08