Montclair Public Schools

The Montclair Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from the Township of Montclair, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States.[3] The district consists of seven elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school.[4]

Montclair Public Schools
Address
22 Valley Road
Montclair, NJ 07042
United States
Coordinates40.815983°N 74.221447°W / 40.815983; -74.221447
District information
GradesK-12
SuperintendentDr. Nathan Parker (interim)
Business administratorEmidio D'Andrea
Schools11
Students and staff
Enrollment6,767 (as of 2018–19)[1]
Faculty564.8 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio12.0:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupI
Websitewww.montclair.k12.nj.us
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		K-12
average		%± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$18,80560$18,891−0.5%
1Budgetary Cost15,2576314,7833.2%
2Classroom Instruction9,101688,7633.9%
6Support Services3,210952,39234.2%
8Administrative Cost1,324291,485−10.8%
10Operations & Maintenance1,308171,783−26.6%
13Extracurricular Activities26158268−2.6%
16Median Teacher Salary67,8197164,043
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

As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising 11 schools, had an enrollment of 6,767 students and 564.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1.[1]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "I", the second-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.[5]

Each school has a magnet theme, which becomes the focus of the school's teaching style. Students have "freedom of choice" as to which school they want to attend.[6] School selection is not dictated based on location of residence within Montclair.[6] When registering in the district, parents rank their school preferences from highest to lowest, with preferences given for siblings of existing students and special needs.[7] School preferences are accommodated as long as space is available.[6]

District mission

The Montclair School District is dedicated to educational excellence for each and every child. In partnership with parents and the community, the schools will maximize academic and artistic achievement, and develop confident students who are accountable for their ongoing learning, who value initiative and diversity, who achieve the requirements of the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards at all grade levels and who are able to contribute meaningfully to the ever-changing global society.

Awards and recognition
Board of Education

In both the 1989-90 and 1993-94 school years, Watchung School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve. Hillside School was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School for the 1987-88 school year.[8]

The district was awarded the New Jersey Governor's Award for Performance Excellence – Silver, was commended by the United States Department of Education as one of six exemplary magnet school programs in the nation, was recognized by The Wall Street Journal for its public schools, and was certified by the New Jersey Department of Education during the 2004-05 school year.

Montclair Public Schools was cited for its magnet school program, as one of six school districts nationwide selected as the focus of Innovations in Education: Creating Successful Magnet School Programs, describing those schools whose "successful magnet programs offer a range of contexts, experiences, and perspectives".[9]

Nishuane School was named as a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve, in the 1993-94 school year.[10] Watchung School was also named a Star School for 1993-94.[11]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics)[12] are:[13][14]

Elementary schools
  • Bradford Elementary School[15] (436 students; in grades K-5, Magnet Theme: The University Magnet)
    • Naomi Kirkman, Principal
  • Charles H. Bullock Elementary School[16] (448; K-5, Environmental Science)
    • Nami Kuwabara, Principal
  • Edgemont Montessori School[17] (280; K-5, Montessori)
  • Jeffrey Freeman, Principal
  • Hillside Elementary School[18] (577; 3-5, Gifted and Talented)
    • Samanthaa Anglin, Principal
  • Nishuane Elementary School[19] (417; K-2, Gifted and Talented)
    • Dr. Jill McLaughlin, Principal
  • Northeast Elementary School[20] (412; K-5, Global Studies)
    • Dr. Gail Clarke, Principal
  • Watchung Elementary School[21] (425; K-5, Science and Technology)
    • Patrick Krenn, Principal
Middle schools
Glenfield School
  • Buzz Aldrin Middle School[22] (667; 6-8, The STEM Magnet)
    • Dr. Jill Sack, Principal
  • Glenfield Middle School[23] (675; 6-8, Visual and Performing Arts)
    • Erika Pierce, Principal
  • Renaissance Middle School at the Rand Building[24] (257; 6-8, Liberal Arts)
    • Dr. Joseph A. Putrino Jr., Principal
High school

Former schools
  • Grove Street Elementary School
  • Southwest Elementary School
  • George Inness Middle School

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[26][27]

  • Dr. Nathan Parker, Interim Superintendent of Schools[28]
  • Emidio D'Andrea, Board Secretary / School Business Administrator[29]

Board of education

The district's board of education consists of seven members who set policy and oversee the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type I school district, the board's trustees are appointed by the Mayor to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three members up for reappointment each year. Of the more than 600 school districts statewide, Montclair is one of 15 districts with appointed school boards.[30][31] In 2009, voters rejected a referendum proposal that would have switched the district from a Type I (appointed) to a Type II (elected) board.[32]

  • Elementary Schools
  • Northeast Elementary School
  • Bradford Elementary School
  • Edgemont Elementary School
  • Hillside Elementary School
  • Watchung Elementary School
  • Previous Rand Elementary School, now Renaissance at Rand Middle School
  • Middle Schools
  • Buzz Aldrin Middle School
  • Glenfield Middle School
  • Renaissance Middle School's previous building, owned by Immaculate Conception
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References
  1. District information for Montclair Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  2. Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. Montclair Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020. "Purpose The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Montclair School District. Composition The Montclair School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Montclair."
  4. About Our District, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  5. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed September 15, 2014.
  6. Montclair Magnet System Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed April 10, 2011.
  7. Magnet School Report: Excerpt from Report Describing Montclair System Archived 2006-10-09 at the Wayback Machine, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 26, 2006.
  8. Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  9. WORK WITH PARENTS & THE COMMUNITY - Innovations in Education: Creating Successful Magnet School Programs, accessed December 26, 2006.
  10. Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 25, 2009.
  11. Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 25, 2009.
  12. School Data for the Montclair Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  13. School Feeder Pattern, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  14. New Jersey School Directory for the Montclair Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  15. Bradford Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed February 26, 2014.
  16. Charles H. Bullock Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed February 26, 2014.
  17. Edgemont Montessori School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed February 26, 2014.
  18. Hillside Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed February 26, 2014.
  19. Nishuane Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed February 26, 2014.
  20. Northeast Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed February 26, 2014.
  21. Watchung Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed February 26, 2014.
  22. Buzz Aldrin Middle School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed February 26, 2014.
  23. Glenfield Middle School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed February 26, 2014.
  24. Renaissance Middle School at the Rand Building, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed February 26, 2014.
  25. Montclair High School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed February 26, 2014.
  26. New Jersey School Directory for Essex County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  27. Central Office Who's Who, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  28. Office of the SUperintendent, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  29. Business Office, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  30. 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.
  31. Board of Education, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020. "The Montclair Board of Education consists of seven volunteers from the community who are appointed by the Mayor (see below)."
  32. Roll, Erin. "Montclair Parents Debate Appointed Vs. Elected School Board", Montclair Local, April 4, 2019. Accessed May 9, 2020. "Montclair is one of 11 school districts in New Jersey in which the board of education is appointed by the mayor, rather than elected. And a debate is ensuing among some Montclair residents over whether Montclair should stick with an appointed board, or switch to an elected board.... As of 2018, Montclair was one of only 11 Type I school districts in New Jersey. The other 10 are Ventnor, Port Republic, Rockleigh, Pine Valley, East Orange, East Newark, Union City, Harrison, Trenton and Summit.... In 2009, Montclair had a debate over whether to continue with an appointed board or switch to an elected board. The question was put to a vote in October of that year. Voters opted to continue with an appointed board."
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