JACKSON, NJ – Beth Medrash Govoha (BMG) has purchased the former Christa McAuliffe Middle School from the Jackson School District for $40 million, with officials saying the Lakewood-based yeshivah intends to use the property “to its fullest potential.”
According to a report by The Voice of Lakewood, A BMG official told The Voice that the yeshivah hasn’t decided exactly what it will do with the property yet, but said, “There are various options that we’re looking at, and we plan on using this facility to the fullest extent.“
The 38-acre site at 35 South Hope Chapel Road includes a two-story, 126,305-square-foot school building constructed in 1993 and five modular classrooms totaling about 3,500 square feet. The school closed last June as part of Jackson’s district-wide restructuring plan amid declining enrollment and significant state funding cuts.
The district initially set a minimum bid of $54.5 million for the property, later reducing it to $44.4 million after receiving no offers. BMG ultimately secured the site in late 2025 for $40 million.
A BMG representative told The Voice that while the yeshivah has not finalized its plans for the campus, “there are various options that we’re looking at, and we plan on using this facility to the fullest extent.”
The sale marks another major property transfer by the Jackson School District as it continues to manage assets and balance its budget. In 2024, the district sold the Sylvia Rosenauer Elementary School to Bais Yaakov of Jackson—a division of the Lakewood Cheder/Bais Faiga—for $13.1 million, and more than 114 acres of undeveloped land near Goetz Middle School to the township for nearly $1 million to preserve as open space.
District officials have cited declining enrollment, reduced state aid, and rising transportation expenses for nonpublic school students as the primary reasons behind the consolidation and sale of surplus properties.
Key Points: BMG buys former Jackson middle school for $40 million, plans full use of sprawling campus – Jackson
- Beth Medrash Govoha purchased the 38-acre Christa McAuliffe Middle School property for $40 million
- The Jackson School District continues to sell unused properties amid funding cuts and enrollment declines
- BMG says it is reviewing multiple options for the site and plans to use it “to the fullest potential”