Immaculate Heart Academy was founded in 1960 as the first regional high school for girls in the Archdiocese of Newark. Its mission both at the time of foundation and today is to provide quality Catholic education to young women in an atmosphere characterized by respect for the individual, Christian community, and a high level of family involvement.

 

IHA is a college preparatory high school for young women, therefore a strong theme throughout the curriculum and extra-curricular activities is the development of the special gifts that women can bring to society. The interests and needs of women in the areas of academics, spirituality, the arts, athletics, and social interaction drive the programs offered at IHA. The emotional and psychological development of young women is fostered by the positive, supportive, and affirming attitudes of the administration, faculty, and staff.

 

Because change and growth are expected, IHA is a vital and vibrant school that has changed over the years in response to a number of factors. Because we are not a private school, we are proud to be a regional high school accessible for students of various demographics. The demographic make-up of our student body has remained remarkably stable with one exception: our students now come from not only Bergen County, but also Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, and Sussex counties in New Jersey; and Rockland and Orange counties in New York. The percentage of non-Catholic students has increased to approximately 13 percent in 2023 and the number of students who attended public elementary school has increased from less than 1 percent in the early years to almost 60 percent today.

 

Morale is very high, student enrollment has been steadily increasing, SAT scores have risen, and state-of-the-art technology changes and room renovations have been made. IHA now enjoys a reputation as an academic, artistic, and athletic powerhouse with one very outstanding characteristic: the friendly, family atmosphere of the all-girls school is its trademark, and one of the main reasons why students choose to attend.