Mendham Borough Schools

The Mendham Borough Schools are a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Mendham Borough, in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[3]

Mendham Borough Schools
Address
12 Hilltop Road
, Morris County, New Jersey, 07945
United States
Coordinates40°46′27″N 74°35′59″W / 40.774221°N 74.599733°W / 40.774221; -74.599733
District information
GradesPreK-8
SuperintendentMitzi N. Morillo
Business administratorRene Rovtar (interim)
Schools2
Students and staff
Enrollment485 (as of 2020–21)[1]
Faculty53.4 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio9.1:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupJ
Websitewww.mendhamboro.org
Ind. Per pupil District
spending
Rank
(*)
K-8
average
%± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$17,27423$18,891−8.6%
1Budgetary Cost13,6612614,159−3.5%
2Classroom Instruction8,027228,659−7.3%
6Support Services2,128292,167−1.8%
8Administrative Cost1,767391,54714.2%
10Operations & Maintenance1,602341,612−0.6%
13Extracurricular Activities1373710431.7%
16Median Teacher Salary60,5553561,136
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of K-8 districts with 401-750 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=64

As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprising two schools, had an enrollment of 485 students and 53.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.1:1.[1]

Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend West Morris Mendham High School, which is located in Mendham Borough and serves students from Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough and Mendham Township.[4] The school is part of the West Morris Regional High School District, which also serves students from Washington Township at West Morris Mendham High School.[5] As of the 2020–21 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,142 students and 91.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1.[6]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "J", the 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.[7]

History edit

Mendham Borough Schools made news in February 2014 when former superintendent Janie Edmonds received a $124,593 annual pension after having served in her role for 7 1/2 years, making her among the highest-paid retired public employees in New Jersey.[8]

Awards and recognition edit

In 2023, Hilltop Elementary School was one of nine schools in New Jersey that was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education.[9][10]

Schools edit

Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[11]) are:[12][13]

Elementary school
  • Hilltop Elementary School[14] with 241 students in grades PreK-4
    • Christopher Mucha, principal
Middle school
  • Mountain View Middle School[15] with 241 students in grades 5-8
    • Aimee Toth, principal

Administration edit

Core members of the district's administration are:[16][17]

  • Mitzi N. Morillo, superintendent
  • Rene Rovtar, interim business administrator and board secretary

Board of education edit

The district's board of education is comprised of 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 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]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d District information for Mendham Borough School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  2. ^ Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. ^ Mendham Borough Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Mendham Borough Schools. Accessed August 30, 2022. "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 eight in the Mendham Borough School District. Composition: The Mendham Borough School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Mendham Borough."
  4. ^ School Profile 2016-2017, West Morris Mendham High School. Accessed March 19, 2017. "West Morris Mendham High School, serving grades 9-12, is a college preparatory institution. Students reside in either Mendham or Chester, which are both semi-rural communities with a mix of upper-middle class to high-income families."
  5. ^ West Morris Regional High School District 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 4, 2016. "Established in 1958, the West Morris Regional High School District operates two schools, West Morris Central High School and West Morris Mendham High School. The regional district serves the students of five Morris County communities: Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township and Washington Township. Students from Washington Township attend West Morris Central High School, and students from the Chesters and the Mendhams attend West Morris Mendham High School."
  6. ^ School data for West Morris Mendham High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  7. ^ NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 1, 2015.
  8. ^ Koestenblatt, Jason. "5 Former School Administrators Receive $100K Yearly PensionsSuperintendents and principals from the Mendhams, West Morris Regional on Watchdog list of '$100K Club.'", Mendham-Chester Patch, February 25, 2014. Accessed March 1, 2015. "Five former administrators in the Mendhams and West Morris Regional school districts are currently collecting pensions of more than $100,000 annually, according to a New Jersey Watchdog report released this week.... Among them locally was Janie Edmonds, the former Mendham Borough Schools superintendent who retired in June 2012 after more than seven years in the post. Edmonds’ annual pension payment is $124,593."
  9. ^ "These 9 NJ schools were named 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools", Courier News, September 19, 2023. Accessed March 6, 2024. "The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday recognized 353 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023, including nine schools in New Jersey."
  10. ^ 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools: All Public and Non-Public Schools, National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Accessed March 6, 2024.
  11. ^ School Data for the Mendham Borough Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  12. ^ School Performance Reports for the Mendham Borough School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
  13. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Mendham Borough Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  14. ^ Hilltop Elementary School, Mendham Borough Schools. Accessed August 30, 2022.
  15. ^ Mountain View Middle School, Mendham Borough Schools. Accessed August 30, 2022.
  16. ^ Administration, Mendham Borough Schools. Accessed January 29, 2024.
  17. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Morris County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Mendham Borough School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed April 19, 2024. "The Board is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The Board consists of elected officials and is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. A superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District." See "Roster of Officials" on page 12.
  20. ^ Board Members, Mendham Borough Schools. Accessed January 29, 2024.

External links edit