Springfield Public Schools (New Jersey) Explained
The Springfield Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Springfield Township, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[1]
As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprising five schools, had an enrollment of 2,236 students and 168.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.3:1.[2]
The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "GH", the third-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]
History
Springfield Township became one of the six constituent municipalities of the Union County Regional High School District when it was established, joining Berkeley Heights, Clark, Garwood, Kenilworth and Mountainside. The district opened for students in September 1937, with the district's first facility being Jonathan Dayton Regional High School in Springfield, which was named for founding father Jonathan Dayton.[4] Amid conflict between the constituent municipalities about financing a district described as "the highest-spending regional high school in the state" and anger from residents impacted by the closure of David Brearley High School, a referendum was held in May 1996 in which voters approved a proposal to breakup the regional district. With the district's dissolution at the end of the 1996-97 school year Jonathan Dayton High School was turned over to the Springfield Public Schools, which became a K-12 district.[5] [6]
Schools
Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[7]) are:[8] [9]
- Elementary schools
- Edward V. Walton Early Childhood Center[10] with 551 students in grades PreK-2
- Adriana B. Coppola, principal
- James Caldwell Elementary School[11] with 292 students in grades 3-5
- Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School[12] with 245 students in grades 3-5
- Michael C. Plias, principal
- Middle school
- Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School[13] with 518 students in grades 6-8
- Timothy P. Kielty, principal
- High school
Administration
Core members of the district's administration are:[15]
- Rachel Goldberg, superintendent[16]
- Michelle Calas, school business administrator and board secretary[17]
Board of education
The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees 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 2012) as part of the November general election. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.[18] [19] [20]
External links
Notes and References
- https://www.straussesmay.com/seportal/Public/DistrictPolicy.aspx?policyid=0110&id=b8a33a9f505e4998a6db3fb8e1de778b Springfield Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification
- https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?Search=2&details=1&ID2=3415630&DistrictID=3415630 District information for Springfield Public School District
- http://www.state.nj.us/education/finance/rda/dfg.shtml NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts
- https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/219491665/ "A Biography: Jonathan Dayton, form whom new regional school is named, figured in Revolution, Congress and civic life"
- Hanley, Robert. "Schools Weigh Impact Of District Breakup", The New York Times, May 16, 1996. Accessed April 28, 2021. "They are Springfield, with Dayton High; Berkeley Heights, with Governor Livingston High; Clark, with Arthur Johnson High, and Kenilworth, with Brearley High, which closed three years ago but will reopen after Commissioner Klagholz sets a date for the formal dissolution. Many expect it will be June 30, 1997. The district's two towns without high school buildings -- Garwood and Mountainside -- will remain kindergarten-to-eighth-grade districts and ship out their high school students. Mountainside's will go to Livingston High in Berkeley Heights."
- Paglia, Bernice. "Stakes high in vote on deregionalization", Courier News, May 13, 1996. Accessed April 28, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "In 1992 the Union County Regional High School District 1 board voted to close one of its four high schools, a move aimed at saving $4 million. That move may come full circle on Tuesday, when voters from six municipalities will decide whether to dissolve the district itself, which state Education Commissioner Leo Klagholz has called 'the highest-spending regional high school in the state.'"
- https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3415630 School Data for the Springfield Public Schools
- https://rc.doe.state.nj.us/selectreport/2022-2023/39/5000 School Performance Reports for the Springfield Public School District
- https://homeroom6.doe.state.nj.us/directory/school/districtid/5000 New Jersey School Directory for the Springfield Public Schools
- https://evw.springfieldschools.com/ Edward V. Walton Early Childhood Center
- https://jc.springfieldschools.com/ James Caldwell Elementary School
- https://tls.springfieldschools.com/ Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School
- https://fmg.springfieldschools.com/ Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School
- https://jdhs.springfieldschools.com/ Jonathan Dayton High School
- https://homeroom6.doe.state.nj.us/directory/district/county/union New Jersey School Directory for Union County
- https://www.springfieldschools.com/administration/superintendent-1 Superintendent
- https://www.springfieldschools.com/administration/business-office Business Administrator / Board Secretary
- https://www.nj.gov/education/finance/fp/dwb/DistrictByTypeList2018.pdf New Jersey Boards of Education by District Election Types - 2018 School Election
- https://www.nj.gov/education/finance/fp/acfr/search/23/5000.pdf#page=43 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Springfield Township School District
- https://www.springfieldschools.com/board-of-education/board-of-education/board-of-education-members Board of Education Members
