Bayonne Board of Education

Bayonne Board of Education is a comprehensive public school district serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Bayonne in Hudson County, New Jersey.

Bayonne Board of Education
Address
669 Avenue A Bayonne, NJ 07002 United States
Coordinates	40.67176°N 74.121234°W / 40.67176; -74.121234
District information
Grades	Pre-K to 12
Superintendent	John J. Niesz
Business administrator	Daniel Castles
Schools	13
Students and staff
Enrollment	9,907 (as of 2017-18)[1]
Faculty	689.2 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio	14.4:1[1]
Other information
District Factor Group	CD
Website	bboed.org
Ind. Per pupil District spending Rank (*) K-12 average %± vs. average 1A Total Spending $15,344 5 $18,891 −18.8% 1 Budgetary Cost 11,998 8 14,783 −18.8% 2 Classroom Instruction 7,963 22 8,763 −9.1% 6 Support Services 1,348 2 2,392 −43.6% 8 Administrative Cost 1,066 4 1,485 −28.2% 10 Operations & Maintenance 1,441 29 1,783 −19.2% 13 Extracurricular Activities 136 10 268 −49.3% 16 Median Teacher Salary 51,955 2 64,043 Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2] *Of K-12 districts with more than 3,500 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=103

Midtown Community School 8

Bayonne Junior High School

PS 12, the Bailey School

As of the 2017-18 school year, the district and its 13 schools had an enrollment of 9,907 students and 689.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.4:1.[1]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "CD", the sixth-highest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.[3]

After the state rejected a budget plan that would have cut 85 positions and raised taxes by almost 4%, the board of education voted in April 2017 to cut a total of 300 positions, including 260 non-tenured teachers, to achieve $6 million in savings from the earlier proposed $133 million budget.[4]

Awards and recognition

During the 2008-09 school year, Public School #14 Gifted & Talented was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education,[5] the highest award an American school can receive. In 2009-2010, Washington Community School was awarded the Blue Ribbon Award.[6][7]

For the 2004-05 school year, Mary J. Donohoe No. 4 School was named a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve.[8] It is the fourth school in Bayonne to receive this honor. The other three are Bayonne High School in 1995-96,[9] Midtown Community School in 1996-97[10] and P.S. #14 in the 1998-99 school year.[11]

During the 2008-2009 school year, Washington Community School was awarded the ASCA Honor Council Excellence Award, which is given to school's Student Councils who have met the requirements and completed projects in the areas of in leadership, citizenship, and community service.[12]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2017-18 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[13]) are:[14][15][16]

Elementary schools

• Henry E. Harris No. 1[17] (683 students; grades PreK-8)
  • Maria Kazmir, Principal
    • Karen Fiermonte, Assistant Principal
• Phillip G. Vroom No. 2[18] (449; PreK-8)
  • Stacey Janeczko, Assistant Principal
    • Alana Ryan, Assistant Principal
• Dr. Walter F. Robinson No. 3[19] (777; PreK-8). The facility was originally opened in 1910 as Bayonne High School, and changed to an elementary school in the late 1930s when the present Bayonne High School was completed. In 1977, it was renamed after a prominent history teacher who became school principal and Assistant Superintendent of Schools and authored a history of the city of Bayonne.
  • Maryann Connelly, Principal
    • Areta Costello, Assistant Principal
• Mary J. Donohoe No. 4[20] (471; PreK-8)
  • Philip Baccarella, Jr, Principal
    • Areta Costello, Assistant Principal
• Lincoln Community School No. 5[21] (465; PreK-8)
  • Keith Makowski, Principal
    • Alana Ryan, Assistant Principal
• Horace Mann No. 6[22] (573; PreK-8)
  • Kathy Quinn, Principal
    • Karen Fiermonte, Assistant Principal
• Midtown Community School No. 8[23] (1, 179; PreK-8)
  • Christina Mercun, Principal
    • Patricia Dziubek, Assistant Principal
• George Washington Community School No. 9[24] (684; PreK-8)
  • George Becker, Principal
• Woodrow Wilson School No. 10[25] (700; PreK-8)
  • Maureen Brown, Principal
    • Lisa Wasielewski, Assistant Principal
• John M. Bailey School No. 12[26] (664; PreK-8)
  • Al McCormick, Principal
• Nicholas Oresko School No. 14[27] (462; PreK-8) an advanced school for gifted and talented students in academics, the arts, and physical education
  • Charles Costello, Principal
    • Lisa Wasielewski, Assistant Principal

High school

• Bayonne High School[28] (2,668; 9-12)
  • Richard Baccarella, Principal
    • Kathleen Bingham, Assistant Principal
    • Robert Pierce, Assistant Principal
    • John Rickard, Assistant Principal
    • Eric Ryan, Assistant Principal

Dress code

The Bayonne Board of Education has implemented a dress code that took effect in the 2006-2007 school year for students in Pre-K through 8th grade. The plan was intended to "increase student identification with their schools and the district, Eliminate many of the distractions associated with differences in social or economic status, Allow the children, their teachers and the Board of Education to concentrate on shared pursuit of educational excellence and Instill a sense of belonging and school pride".[29][30] A heated battle was fought between enraged parents and grandparents and the Board, with parents and grandparents upset at the manner in which the policy was imposed, the cost of the uniforms, the loss of freedom of expression to students in choosing the clothing they wear and issues regarding the manner in which the contract was awarded.[31]

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[32][33]

• John J. Niesz, Superintendent
• Daniel Castles, Business Administrator
• Gary Maita, Board Secretary[34]

The district's board of education has nine members who set policy and oversee the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2015) as part of the November general election.[34][35][36][37]

In a November 2015 referendum, voters approved by a 3-1 margin a change from a Type I (appointed) to Type II (elected) school board.[38]

References

1. District information for Bayonne School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 1, 2019.
2. Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
3. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 30, 2014.
4. McDonald, Corey. "Bayonne school board votes to lay off nearly 300 district employees", The Jersey Journal, April 27, 2017. Accessed April 27, 2017. "Facing the packed auditorium of the Bayonne High School, the BOE passed resolutions effectively eliminating 261 non-tenured teachers, as well as 15 secretaries, eight engineers, two bus drivers, and other miscellaneous positions amidst the Board's current budget crisis.A number of residents expressed their frustration and impatience with the board, whose previous budget -- $133.1 million with a 3.95 percent tax increase and a projected 85 layoffs -- was rejected by the state."
5. U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program: 2008 Schools, United States Department of Education. Accessed September 23, 2008.
6. "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
7. "Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test", The Washington Post. September 29, 2005. "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
8. New Jersey Department of Education Star School Award recipient 2004-05, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 23, 2006.
9. Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 30, 2009.
10. Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 30, 2009.
11. Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 30, 2009.
12. Congratulations to the 2011-12 Student Council Excellence Award Winners!, National Association of Elementary School Principals. Accessed December 30, 2014.
13. School Data for the Bayonne Board of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 1, 2019.
14. Schools, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
15. Directory / Principals & Assistant Principals Bayonne School District. Accessed January 30, 2020.
16. New Jersey School Directory for the Bayonne Board of Education, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
17. Henry E. Harris No. 1, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
18. Phillip G. Vroom No. 2, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
19. Dr. Walter F. Robinson No. 3, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
20. Mary J. Donohoe No. 4, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
21. Lincoln Community School No. 5, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
22. Horace Mann No. 6, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
23. Midtown Community School No. 8, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
24. George Washington Community School No. 9, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
25. Woodrow Wilson No. 10, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
26. John M. Bailey No. 12, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
27. Nicholas Oresko School #14, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
28. Bayonne High School, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
29. A Letter to Parents and Members of the Community Archived July 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, dated July 24, 2006
30. Dress Code Archived June 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, accessed July 31, 2006
31. Sullivan, Al. "School uniform policy to raise protest: Angry parents expect to confront School Board at next meeting" Archived 2016-10-30 at the Wayback Machine, The Hudson Reporter, July 28, 2006. Accessed October 29, 2016.
32. Central Office Administration, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
33. New Jersey School Directory for Hudson County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
34. Board of Education Trustees, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020.
35. New Jersey Boards of Education by District Election Types - 2018 School Election, New Jersey Department of Education, updated February 16, 2018. Accessed January 26, 2020.
36. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Bayonne Board of Education, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2018. Accessed June 30, 2020. "The City of Bayonne School District is a Type II district located in the County of Hudson, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The board is comprised of nine members elected to three-year terms and one sending district member appointed annually. The District converted from a Type I District (appointed school board) to a Type II District (elected school board) pursuant to a special question included in the general election held on November 3, 2015.... The purpose of the District is to educate students in grades K-12."
37. Bayonne Board of Education District Policy: Identification, Bayonne Board of Education. Accessed January 30, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-K through 12 in the Bayonne School District. Composition: The Bayonne School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the City of Bayonne."
38. Lin, Jonathan. "Overwhelming majority of Bayonne voters choose to have an elected school board", The Jersey Journal, November 5, 2014, updated January 17, 2019. Accessed January 30, 2020. "Support for changing Bayonne's appointed school board to an elected board has swept the polls. The referendum on whether there should be an elected school board, which appeared on this year's ballot as Bayonne Public Question #2, generated 4,858 or 76.56 percent 'Yes' votes and 1,487 or 23.44 percent 'No' votes."

External links

• Bayonne Board of Education
• Bayonne Board of Education's 2015–16 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• School Data for the Bayonne Board of Education, National Center for Education Statistics