Woodbridge Township School District Explained

Woodbridge Township School District
Superintendent:Joseph Massimino
Businessadmin:Brian Wolferman
Address:School Street
Zipcode:07095
Country:United States
Coordinates:40.5552°N -74.2803°W
Schools:25
Enrollment:13,836 (as of 2022–23)
Ratio:11.6:1
Free Text:DE

The Woodbridge Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. All schools are accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprising 25 schools, had an enrollment of 13,836 students and 1,193.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1.[1] The high schools offer more than 150 courses, including Advanced Placement, college preparatory, business, vocational and cooperative work/study programs.

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "DE", the fifth-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.[2]

History

Voters approved a referendum in March 2020 that would raise $87 million for renovations that would include the replacement of the 100-year-ol Avenel Street School and the closure of Ford Avenue School, whose students would be shifted to Lafayette Estates School.[3]

Awards and recognition

During the 2008-09 school year, Kennedy Park School #24 was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education,[4] the highest award an American school can receive.[5] [6] Lynn Crest School was recognized as a "Blue Ribbon" School during the 2009-10 school year.[7] In 2023, Claremont Avenue Elementary School was one of nine schools in New Jersey that was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School.[8] [9]

For the 2005-06 school year, the district was recognized with the "Best Practices Award" by the New Jersey Department of Education for its "Blooming Buddies-The Garden Club" Science program at Matthew Jago Elementary School.[10]

For the 2004-05 school year, Matthew Jago Elementary School was named a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve.[11]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[12]) are:[13] [14] [15]

Elementary schools
Middle schools
High schools

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[41] [42]

Board of education

The district's board of education, composed 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.[43] [44] [45]

Controversy

Lois Rotella, former assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, left her position in early August 2012. After her departure, "the district has been notoriously tight-lipped about matters since various schools have been under investigation by the State Board of Education's Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance... because of a high number of wrong-to-right erasures on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK) standardized tests."[46]

In 2015, it was found out that Ford Avenue School #14 principal Cathie Bedosky was encouraging students to cheat on the NJASK standardized test. She also poorly trained test proctors, and hired unqualified people to administer the test. She was later suspended by vote at the Woodbridge Board of Education.[47]

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?Search=2&details=1&ID2=3418120&DistrictID=3418120 District information for Woodbridge Township School District
  2. http://www.state.nj.us/education/finance/rda/dfg.shtml NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts
  3. Chang, Kathy. "Century-old school buildings will be replaced with 21st-century facilities in Woodbridge", CentralJersey.com, March 11, 2020. Accessed March 6, 2024. "Voters approved an $87 million bond referendum on March 10, which addresses the last three oldest school buildings in the district.... Zega said the highlight of the referendum is the replacement of Avenel Street School No. 4/5 with a building on a different location off Rahway Avenue. The school building is the oldest school in the district at more than 100 years old.... In addition, Ford Avenue School No. 14, which is 96 years old, will close. Zega said school No. 14 is the district's 'smallest elementary school and requires so much renovation.' School officials have decided to close the school and move the students to Lafayette Estates School No. 25 on Ford Avenue, which is less than a mile from School No. 14."
  4. http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/2008/2008-schools.html U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program: 2008 Schools
  5. "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."
  6. "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."
  7. http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/2010/national.pdf#page=13 2010 Blue Ribbon Schools All Public and Private
  8. https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/education/2023/09/19/2023-national-blue-ribbon-schools-nj-new-jersey/70901373007/ "These 9 NJ schools were named 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools"
  9. https://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/assets/reports/2023/all_2023_national_blue_ribbon_schools.pdf#page=20 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools: All Public and Non-Public Schools
  10. http://www.nj.gov/cgi-bin/education/oipp/bp3.pl?string=recid=0832&maxhits=10000 New Jersey Department of Education Best Practices Award recipient for 2005-06
  11. http://www.state.nj.us/cgi-bin/education/ss/ss3.pl?string=id=116&maxhits=10000 Star School Award recipients
  12. http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3418120 School Data for the Woodbridge Township School District
  13. https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1584/WTSD/3471043/_Handbook_2324.pdf#page=5 Parent / Student Handbook for 2023-2024 School Year
  14. https://rc.doe.state.nj.us/selectreport/2022-2023/23/5850 School Performance Reports for the Woodbridge Township School District
  15. https://homeroom6.doe.state.nj.us/directory/school/districtid/5850 New Jersey School Directory for the Woodbridge Township School District
  16. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/mawbey Mawbey Street School #1
  17. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/prs Port Reading School #9
  18. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/ross Ross Street School #11
  19. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/indiana Indiana Avenue School #18
  20. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/menlo Menlo Park Terrace #19
  21. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/claremont Claremont Avenue School #20
  22. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/ors Oak Ridge Heights School #21
  23. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/lc22 Lynn Crest School #22
  24. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/woodbine Woodbine Avenue School #23
  25. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/kps Kennedy Park School #24
  26. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/lafayette25 Lafayette Estates School #25
  27. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/rms Robert Mascenik School #26
  28. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/pennave27 Pennsylvania Avenue School #27
  29. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/matthewjago28 Matthew Jago School #28
  30. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/otr Oak Tree Road School #29
  31. Makin, Bob. "Woodbridge: Oak Tree Road School unveils $8M renovation", Courier News, September 8, 2018. Accessed March 6, 2024. "Oak Tree Road School No. 29 on Wednesday became the first fully-renovated township school district building to open in nearly 50 years. The school, which cost $8M to renovate, welcomed 520 first- through fifth-grade students."
  32. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/ams Avenel Middle School
  33. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/cms Colonia Middle School
  34. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/fms Fords Middle School
  35. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/ims Iselin Middle School
  36. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/wms Woodbridge Middle School
  37. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/chs Colonia High School
  38. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/jfk Woodbridge High School
  39. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/rise Reaching Individual Student Excellence
  40. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/o/whs Woodbridge High School
  41. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/page/central-administration Central Administration
  42. https://homeroom6.doe.state.nj.us/directory/district/county/middlesex New Jersey School Directory for Middlesex County
  43. https://www.nj.gov/education/finance/fp/dwb/DistrictByTypeList2018.pdf New Jersey Boards of Education by District Election Types - 2018 School Election
  44. https://www.nj.gov/education/finance/fp/acfr/search/23/5850.pdf#page=46 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Franklin Township School District
  45. https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us/page/about-the-board About the Board
  46. http://woodbridge.patch.com/articles/mystery-surrounds-woodbridge-assistant-school-superintendent-s-departure Mystery Surrounds Woodbridge Assistant School Superintendent's Departure
  47. News: Woodbridge school principal encouraged cheating on standardized test, state says. NJ.com. 2017-01-16.

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