Westfield Public Schools

The Westfield Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Westfield, in Union County, New Jersey, United States.[3]

Westfield Public Schools
Address
302 Elm Street
Westfield, NJ 07090
United States
Coordinates40.654118°N 74.352339°W / 40.654118; -74.352339
District information
GradesPreK-12
SuperintendentDr. Margaret Dolan
Business administratorDana Sullivan
Schools10
Students and staff
Enrollment6,304 (as of 2018–19)[1]
Faculty500.4 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio12.6:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupI
WebsiteDistrict website
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		K-12
average		%± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$16,60725$18,891−12.1%
1Budgetary Cost13,0872614,783−11.5%
2Classroom Instruction7,946208,763−9.3%
6Support Services2,364562,392−1.2%
8Administrative Cost1,389411,485−6.5%
10Operations & Maintenance1,09841,783−38.4%
13Extracurricular Activities290682688.2%
16Median Teacher Salary71,9088364,043
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of K-12 districts with more than 3,500 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=103

As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising 10 schools, had an enrollment of 6,304 students and 500.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.6:1.[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]

Awards and recognition

Theodore Roosevelt Intermediate School was awarded the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive, during the 2004-05 school year.[5] Washington Elementary School was honored by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program in 2019, one of nine schools in the state recognized as Exemplary High Performing Schools.[6]

For the 1994-95 school year, Westfield High School was named as a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve.[7]

Schools

The district has a central kindergarten, six neighborhood elementary schools (grades 1-5), two middle schools (grades 6-8) divided by a "North Side / South Side" boundary, and one high school (grades 9-12).[8] The schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[9]) are:[10][11]

Preschool
  • Lincoln Early Childhood Center[12] (with 310 students; in grades PreK-K)
    • Audrey Zavetz, Principal
Elementary schools
  • Franklin Elementary School[13] (580; 1-5 - North)
    • Eileen Cambria, Principal
  • Jefferson Elementary School[14] (442; 1-5 - South)
    • Susie Hung, Principal
  • McKinley Elementary School[15] (341; 1-5 - South)
    • Marc Biunno, Principal
  • Tamaques Elementary School[16] (401; 1-5 - South)
    • David Duelks, Principal
  • Washington Elementary School[17] (309; 1-5 - North)
    • Andrew Perry, Principal
  • Wilson Elementary School[18] (355; 1-5 - North)
    • Joseph Malanga, Principal
Intermediate schools
  • Roosevelt Intermediate School[19] (777; 6-8 - North)
    • Brian Gechtman,[20] Principal
  • Thomas Alva Edison Intermediate School[21] (844; 6-8 - South)
    • Matt Bolton, Principal
High school

Public school students are also eligible to apply to attend the Union County Vocational Technical Schools, which include Union County Magnet High School, Union County Academy for Information Technology, Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences, Union County Vocational Technical High School and Union County Academy for Performing Arts.[24]

Press

Westfield High School publishes a weekly student newspaper during the school year called Hi's Eye. Established in 1935, the paper publishes 33 issues per year with a monthly Arts and Entertainment insert called Iris. The Hi's Eye is unique among many student run newspapers in that it is weekly and completely self-funded. The motto for the Hi's Eye is "For the students, by the students, since 1935."

The middle schools and elementary schools also publish a brief newspaper written by their students, for their students. Theodore Roosevelt Intermediate School publishes an issue of The Rough Rider 12 times a year. Thomas Alva Edison Intermediate School publishes The Edison Insider a few times a year. Woodrow Wilson Elementary School publishes an issue of The Wilson World twice a year.

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[25][26]

  • Dr. Margaret Dolan, Superintendent[27]
  • Dana Sullivan, Business Administrator / Board Secretary[28]

Board of education

The district's board of education, with 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 day-to-day operation of the district.[29][30][31]

References
  1. District information for Westfield Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  2. Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. Westfield Public Schools District Bylaw 0110 - Identification, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades kindergarten through twelve in the Westfield School District. Composition: The Westfield School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Westfield."
  4. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 18, 2015.
  5. Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 2003 through 2005 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed April 6, 2011.
  6. 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools Exemplary High Performing Schools, National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Accessed September 26, 2019.
  7. Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 26, 2009.
  8. Facts and Figures, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  9. School Data for the Westfield Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  10. Enrollment Figures, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  11. New Jersey School Directory for the Westfield Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  12. Lincoln School, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  13. Franklin Elementary School, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  14. Jefferson Elementary School, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  15. McKinley Elementary School, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  16. Tamaques Elementary School, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  17. Washington Elementary School, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  18. Wilson Elementary School, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  19. Roosevelt Intermediate School, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  20. Crespolini, Russ. New Principal Hired For Roosevelt School In Westfield Westfield, NJ Patch. Accessed August 3, 2019.
  21. Thomas Alva Edison Intermediate School, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  22. Westfield High School, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  23. Crespolini, Russ. Westfield Hires New High School Principal Westfield, NJ Patch. Accessed August 3, 2019.
  24. Full-Time Opportunities, Union County Vocational Technical Schools. Accessed May 24, 2013. "Applicants are selected from a diverse population of eighth grade students in each of the twenty-one municipalities in Union County."
  25. Staff Directory, Westfield School District. Accessed September 9, 2017.
  26. New Jersey School Directory for Union County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  27. Superintendent, Westfield School District. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  28. Business Office, Westfield School District. Accessed June 19, 2020.
  29. 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.
  30. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Westfield School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2019. Accessed June 19, 2020. "The Westfield School District is a Type 11 district located in the County of Union, State of New Jersey, serving students domiciled in the Town of Westfield. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is comprised of nine members elected to staggered three-year terms. The purpose of the district is to educate students in grades K-12."
  31. Board of Education, Westfield Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020.
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