Mountainside School District

The Mountainside School District is a community public school district, that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in the borough of Mountainside, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[3]

Mountainside School District
Address
1497 Woodacres Drive
, Union County, New Jersey, 07092
United States
Coordinates40°40′21″N 74°22′13″W / 40.672543°N 74.370185°W / 40.672543; -74.370185
District information
GradesPreK-8
SuperintendentJanet Walling
Business administratorSteven K. Robinson (interim)
Schools2
Students and staff
Enrollment725 (as of 2020–21)[1]
Faculty71.3 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio10.2:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupI
Websitewww.mountainsideschools.org
Ind. Per pupil District
spending
Rank
(*)
K-8
average
%± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$15,20012$18,891−19.5%
1Budgetary Cost10,688414,159−24.5%
2Classroom Instruction6,46438,659−25.3%
6Support Services1,658172,167−23.5%
8Administrative Cost1,21881,547−21.3%
10Operations & Maintenance1,240151,612−23.1%
13Extracurricular Activities110551045.8%
16Median Teacher Salary58,5112561,136
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of K-8 districts with more than 750 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=84

As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 725 students and 71.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.2:1.[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.[4]

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Governor Livingston High School in Berkeley Heights, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Berkeley Heights Public Schools that is covered by an agreement that runs through the end of 2021–22 school year.[5][6] As of the 2020–21 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 960 students and 87.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1.[7]

Students also have the choice to attend the programs of the Union County Vocational Technical Schools, which serve students from across Union County.[8]

Schools edit

Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[9]) are:[10][11]

  • Beechwood School[12] with 256 students in grades PreK-2
    • Jessica Vierschilling, principal
  • Deerfield School[13] with 461 students in grades 3-8
    • Suzanne Jenks, principal

Administration edit

Core members of the district's administration are:[14][15]

  • Janet Walling, superintendent
  • Steven K. Robinson, interim business administrator and board secretary

Board of education edit

The district's board of education is comprised of seven 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 either two or 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.[16][17][18][19]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d District information for Mountainside 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. ^ Mountainside Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Mountain School District. Accessed March 2, 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 twelve in the Mountainside School District. The Mountainside School District has a sending-receiving relationship with Berkeley Heights Board of Education to educate the Mountainside School District pupils in grades nine through twelve. Composition: The Mountainside School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Mountainside."
  4. ^ NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 8, 2015.
  5. ^ Berkeley Heights Public School District 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 7, 2016. "In addition to serving the public school students of Berkeley Heights, high school students from the neighboring Borough of Mountainside are educated at Governor Livingston High School."
  6. ^ Mustac, Frank. "Contract Signed to Continue Sending Mountainside Students to Governor Livingston High School", TAP into Mountainside, October 12, 2016. Accessed February 5, 2020. "With the Berkeley Heights Board of Education's recent approval of a renegotiated send/receive agreement, new terms are now in place by which the Mountainside School District will be sending its students in grades nine through 12 to Governor Livingston High School.... The new contract runs for five years from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2022, with a renewal option for an additional five years... The business administrator explained that 30 percent of the Mountainside School District annual budget goes to paying the Berkeley Heights district for sending about 300 students who live in Mountainside to Governor Livingston High School."
  7. ^ School data for Governor Livingston High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  8. ^ Our District, Union County Vocational Technical Schools. Accessed May 20, 2013.
  9. ^ School Data for the Mountainside School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  10. ^ School Performance Reports for the Mountainside School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 19, 2024.
  11. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Mountainside School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  12. ^ Beechwood School, Mountainside School District. Accessed March 2, 2022.
  13. ^ Deerfield School, Mountainside School District. Accessed March 2, 2022.
  14. ^ Administration, Mountainside School District. Accessed March 2, 2022.
  15. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Union County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Mountainside School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2018. Accessed February 5, 2020. "The Borough of Mountainside School District is a Type II district located in the County of Union, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The board is comprised of seven members elected to three-year terms. The purpose of the district is to educate students in grades Pre-K-12. High school students (grades 9-12) are sent to Governor Livingston High School, located in adjacent Berkeley Heights Township, pursuant to a contractual agreement by and between the Berkeley Heights School District and the Mountainside School District."
  18. ^ Board of Education, Mountainside School District. Accessed February 5, 2020.
  19. ^ Board of Education Members, Mountainside School District. Accessed March 2, 2022.

External links edit