Middletown Mayor Tony Perry announced Thursday evening that the Township had reached an agreement to purchase the former Mater Dei High School building and surrounding grounds from St. Mary's Catholic church. Perry said the plan is to turn the 20-acre property into a recreational park, and the existing sports fields would be kept as is.
The building itself would be razed as early as this summer, as Perry said the town has no use for the former high school. The property is being sold for $11.75 million, with Monmouth County covering 75% of the cost to the tune of $8 million.
This may not sit well with parents in Middletown who are currently rallying to stop a plan by the school board to close three schools in town as soon as next year due to a massive budget shortfall.