Montclair Public Schools

Montclair Public Schools
Superintendent:		Dr. Frank Alvarez
Business Administrator:		Dana Sullivan
Address:		22 Valley Road Montclair, NJ 07042
Grade Range:		K-12
School facilities:		11
Enrollment:		6,766 (as of 2009-10)[1]
Faculty (in FTEs):		573
Student–teacher ratio:		11.81
District Factor Group:		I
Web site:		http://www.montclair.k12.nj.us
Ind.	Per Pupil	District Spending	Rank (*)	K-12 Average	%± vs. Average
1	Comparative Cost	$14,629	79	$13,632	7.3%
2	Classroom Instruction	8,755	79	8,035	9.0%
6	Support Services	2,778	90	2,166	28.3%
8	Administrative Cost	1,294	42	1,379	-6.2%
10	Operations & Maintenance	1,479	44	1,674	-11.6%
13	Extracurricular Activities	280	70	258	8.5%
16	Median Teacher Salary	58,914	54	57,597
Data from NJDoE 2009 Comparative Spending Guide.[2] *Of K-12 districts with 3,501+ students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=105

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. The district consists of seven elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school.

As of the 2009-10 school year, the district's 11 schools had an enrollment of 6,766 students and 573 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.81.^[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.^[3]

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.^[4] School selection is not dictated based on location of residence within Montclair.^[4] 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.^[5] School preferences are accommodated as long as space is available.^[4]

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

In both the 1989-90 and 1993-94 school years, Watchung School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve. Hillside

Board of Ed

School was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School for the 1987-88 school year.^[6]

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".^[7]

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.^[8] Watchung School was also named a Star School for 1993-94.^[9]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics)^[10] are:

Elementary schools

Grades K-5, except as noted

• Bradford (489 students, Magnet Theme: The University Magnet)
  • Naomi Kirkman, Principal
• Bullock (353, Environmental Science; was Rand)
  • Dr. Barbara Elder Weller, Principal
• Edgemont (294, Montessori)
  • Dr. Adunni S. Anderson, Principal
• Hillside (3-5; 629, Gifted and Talented)
  • Michael Chiles, Principal
  • Anthony Grosso, Assistant Principal
• Nishuane (K-2; 525, Gifted and Talented)
  • Gail Clarke, Principal
  • Jill McLaughlin, Assistant Principal
• Northeast (426, Global Studies)
  • Dr. Joseph Putrino, Acting Principal
• Watchung (466, Science and Technology)
  • Peter Turnamian, Principal

Middle schools

Glenfield School

Grades 6-8

• Glenfield (686, Visual and Performing Arts)
  • Charles Miller, Principal
  • Cenithia Bilal, Assistant Principal
• Mount Hebron (581, The University STEM Magnet)
  • Guy Whitlock, Principal
  • Samantha Morra, Assistant Principal
• Renaissance at Rand (353, Liberal Arts)
  • Dr. Jill Sack

High school

Grades 9-12

• Montclair High School (1,981)
  • James N. Earle, Principal
  • Eileen Gilbert, Principal of ninth grade academy (George Inness annex)

Former schools

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

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:^[11]

• Dr. Frank Alvarez, Superintendent of Schools^[12]
• Dana Sullivan, Board Secretary / School Business Administrator^[13]

Elementary Schools Gallery

• 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 Gallery

• Middle Schools
• 

  Mt. Hebron Middle School

• 

  Glenfield Middle School

• 

  Renaissance Middle School's previous building, owned by Immaculate Conception

References

1. ^ ^{a b} District information for the Montclair School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 17, 2011.
2. ^ Comparative Spending Guide March 2009, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 28, 2009.
3. ^ NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 8, 2009.
4. ^ ^{a b c} Montclair Magnet System, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed April 10, 2011.
5. ^ Magnet School Report: Excerpt from Report Describing Montclair System, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 26, 2006.
6. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed May 11, 2006.
7. ^ WORK WITH PARENTS & THE COMMUNITY - Innovations in Education: Creating Successful Magnet School Programs, accessed December 26, 2006.
8. ^ Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 25, 2009.
9. ^ Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 25, 2009.
10. ^ Data for the Montclair Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 17, 2011.
11. ^ Essex County School Directory, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed November 5, 2009.
12. ^ Superintendent, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed April 10, 2011.
13. ^ Business Office Personnel, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed April 10, 2011.

External links

• Montclair Public Schools
• Montclair Public Schools's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Montclair Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics

Coordinates: 40°48′58″N 74°13′17″W / 40.815983°N 74.221447°W / 40.815983; -74.221447