Jersey City Public Schools

Jersey City Public Schools
Address
346 Claremont Avenue Jersey City , Hudson County , 07305 United States
Coordinates	40°42′51″N74°05′14″W / 40.714057°N 74.087308°W / 40.714057; -74.087308
District information
Grades	PreK to 12
Superintendent	Norma Fernandez
Business administrator	Dr. Dennis Frohnapfel (Acting)
Schools	39
Affiliation(s)	Former Abbott district
Students and staff
Enrollment	29,113 (as of 2019–20) [1]
Faculty	2,173.0 FTEs [1]
Student–teacher ratio	13.4:1 [1]
Other information
District Factor Group	B
Website	www.jcboe.org
Ind. Per pupil District spending Rank (*) K-12 average  %± vs. average 1A Total Spending $22,273 95 $18,047 23.4% 1 Budgetary Cost 18,119 99 14,519 24.8% 2 Classroom Instruction 10,454 96 8,588 21.7% 6 Support Services 2,826 87 2,338 20.9% 8 Administrative Cost 1,773 101 1,448 22.4% 10 Operations & Maintenance 2,900 103 1,787 62.3% 13 Extracurricular Activities 152 14 263 −42.2% 16 Median Teacher Salary 68,360 76 62,707 Data from NJDoE 2013 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending. [2] *Of K-12 districts with more than 3,500 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=106

The Jersey City Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district located in Jersey City, in Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke ^[3] which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. ^{[4] [5]} As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprising 39 schools, had an enrollment of 29,113 students and 2,173.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.4:1. ^[1]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "B", the second lowest 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. ^[6]

The district was one of three districts in New Jersey (along with Newark Public Schools and Paterson Public Schools) under "state intervention", which authorizes the state Commissioner of Education to intervene in curriculum functions. ^{[7] [8]} In 2017, Jersey City became the first school district in New Jersey to regain full local control after having been under "state intervention". ^[9]

Awards, recognition and rankings

Academy I Middle School was one of nine public schools recognized in 2017 as Blue Ribbon Schools by the United States Department of Education. ^[10] Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School was one of 18 schools statewide (and three public high schools) honored in 2018 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, marking the second time the school was recognized by the program. ^{[11] [12]} Infinity Institute was honored by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program in 2019, one of nine schools in the state recognized as Exemplary High Performing Schools. ^[13]

McNair Academic High School was the second-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 328 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2012 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked second in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. ^[14] William L. Dickinson High School is the oldest high school in the city and James J. Ferris High School is represented by some of the top students of Jersey City who are members of the National Academy Foundation Magnet Programs. Academy I Middle School is one of the top middle schools in the country. Has been recognized with several achievements, including first place in the Lexus Environmental Challenge in 2008.

Dr. McNair Academic 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, in the 1994–95 school year. ^[15]

Alexander D. Sullivan School was recognized by Governor Jim McGreevey in 2003 as one of 25 schools selected statewide for the First Annual Governor's School of Excellence award. ^[16]

School uniforms

Students have been required to wear school uniforms since 1998. ^[17]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ^[18] ) are: ^{[19] [20] [21] [22]}

Elementary schools

Ollie E. Culbreath Jr. P.S. 14

Copernicus P.S. 25

Anthony J. Infante P.S. 31

Elementary schools

Elementary schools in the district are: ^[23]

• Frank R. Conwell School P.S. 3 ^[24] (642 students; grades PreK-5)
  • Darren Mischel, principal
• Jotham W. Wakeman School P.S. 6 ^[25] (664; PreK-5)
  • Joseph Apruzzese, principal
• Charles E. Trefurt School P.S. 8 ^[26] (755; PreK-5)
  • Marisa Migliozzi, principal
• Julia A. Barnes School P.S. 12 ^[27] (356; was PreK-8)
  • Don Howard, principal
• Cornelia F. Bradford School P.S. 16 ^[28] (812; PreK-5)
  • Terry Watkins-Williams, principal
• Dr. Maya Angelou School P.S. 20 ^[29] (689; PreK-5)
  • Hani Ileya, principal
• Rev. Dr. Ercel F. Webb School P.S. 22 ^[30] (680; PreK-5)
  • Janine Anderson, principal
• Nicholas Copernicus School P.S. 25 ^[31] (669; PreK-5)
  • Diane Pistilli, principal
• Patricia M. Noonan School P.S. 26 ^[32] (467; PreK-5)
  • Anne Beirne, principal
• Gladys Cannon Nunery School P.S. 29 ^[33] (292; PreK-5)
  • Robert O'Connor, principal
• Alexander D. Sullivan School P.S. 30 ^[34] (577; PreK-5)
  • Martha Osei-Yaw, principal
• Dr. Paul Rafalides School P.S. 33 ^[35] (438; PreK-4)
  • Janeen Maniscalco, principal
• Gerard J. Dynes N.J. Regional Day School ^[36] (73; Ungraded)
  • Colleen Williams, principal

Grammar schools

Joseph Brensinger School P.S. 17

Grammar schools in the district are: ^[37]

• Dr. Michael Conti School P.S. 5 ^[38] (721; PreK-8)
  • John Rivero, principal
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School P.S. 11 ^[39] (865; PreK-8)
  • Cleopatra Wingard, principal
• Ollie E. Culbreath Jr. School P.S. 14 ^[40] (442; PreK-8)
  • Sharon Abbruscato, principal
• Whitney M. Young Jr. School P.S. 15 ^[41] (645; PreK-8)
  • David Herman, principal
• Joseph H. Brensinger School P.S. 17 ^[42] (1,283; PreK-8)
  • Robert Brower, principal
• Mahatma Gandhi School P.S. 23 ^[43] (1,363; PreK-8)
  • Peter Mattaliano, principal
• Chaplain Charles Watters School P.S. 24 ^[44] (762; K-8)
  • Rosalyn Barnes, principal
• Alfred E. Zampella School P.S. 27 ^[45] (901; PreK-8)
  • Blanca Jackson, principal
• Christa McAuliffe School P.S. 28 ^[46] (1,012; PreK-8)
  • Frank Borroto, principal
• President Barack Obama Elementary School P.S. 34 ^[47] (445; PreK-8)
  • Shante Jones, principal
• Rafael De J. Cordero y Molina School P.S. 37 ^[48] (814; PreK-8)
  • Derek Stanton, principal
• James F. Murray School P.S. 38 ^[49] (795; PreK-8)
  • Sandra Jones, principal
• Dr. Charles P. DeFuccio School P.S. 39 ^[50] (350; PreK-8)
  • Dawn Reynolds, principal
• Fred W. Martin Center for the Arts ^[51] (481; PreK-8)
  • Glenda Jennings, principal

Middle schools

Franklin L. Williams M.S. 7

Middle schools in the district are: ^[52]

• Frank R. Conwell M.S. 4 ^[53] (767; 6–8)
  • Richard Stellato, principal
• Frank L. Williams M.S. 7 ^[54] (896; 6–8)
  • Jaimie Barnaskas, principal
• Ezra L. Nolan M.S. 40 ^[55] (303; 6–8)
  • Asael Salgado, principal ^[56]
• Academy I Middle School ^[57] (463; 6–8)
  • Margaret Freeman, principal

High schools

Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School

High schools in the district are: ^[58]

• William L. Dickinson High School Academy of the Sciences ^[59] (1,812; 9–12)
  • Gekson Casillas, principal
• James J. Ferris High School Academy of International Enterprise ^[60] (1,298; 9–12)
  • Deneen Alford, principal
• Infinity Institute ^[61] (NA; 6–12)
  • Treniere Dobson, principal
• Innovation High School ^[62] (309; 9–12)
  • Yvonne Waller, principal
• Liberty High School ^[63] (231; 9–12)
  • Monica Grazilla, principal
• Lincoln High School Academy of Governance and Social Sciences ^[64] (677; 9–12)
  • Chris Gadsden, principal
• Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School ^[65] (693; 9–12)
  • Tom Macagnano, principal
• Henry Snyder High School Academy of the Arts ^[66] (708; 9–12)
  • Yvonne Waller, principal

Administration

See also: Local government in New Jersey § School districts

Core members of the district's administration are: ^{[67] [68]}

• Norma Fernandez, acting superintendent ^[69]
• Regina Robinson, business administrator and board secretary

Board of education

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 2013) 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. ^{[70] [71]} On October 18, 2018, the Commissioner of Education issued a comprehensive transition plan, effective October 25, 2018, which included a detailed timeline and set of milestones to guide the District's transition over a period of two years. On September 14, 2022, the Commissioner determined the Jersey City Public Schools had successfully implemented the full transition plan and the State Board of Education adopted a resolution approving the return of the District to full local control." See "Roster of Officials" on page 14.</ref> ^[72]

State intervention

The district was formerly one of three districts in New Jersey under "state intervention", which authorizes the commissioner of education to intervene in governance of a local public school district (and to intervene in the areas of instruction and program, operations, personnel, and fiscal management) if the commissioner has determined that a school district failed or was unable to take corrective actions necessary to establish a thorough and efficient system of education. ^[7]

On October 4, 1989, the New Jersey Department of Education established a state-operated school district for Jersey City, appointing a state district superintendent to serve as the governing authority for the district instead of the board of education, and a new board of education was created and functioned as an advisory body. ^[8] In 2005 the legislature disbanded state operation and created "state intervention". ^[7] The Jersey City Board of Education assumed control of governance and finance on April 17, 2008. ^[8] As of October 2010, although governance had been restored to local control in the form of an elected school board, the state district superintendent remained to manage personnel and curriculum functions. ^[7] Local control for personnel was returned to the district in 2012. ^[8] In July 2017, Jersey City regained full local control with curriculum and programming being returned to the district. ^[9]

References

1. District information for Jersey City Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.
2. Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
3. What We Do: History, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022. "In 1998, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in the Abbott v. Burke case that the State must provide 100 percent funding for all school renovation and construction projects in special-needs school districts. According to the Court, aging, unsafe and overcrowded buildings prevented children from receiving the "thorough and efficient" education required under the New Jersey Constitution.... Full funding for approved projects was authorized for the 31 special-needs districts, known as 'Abbott Districts'."
4. What We Do, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022.
5. SDA Districts, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022.
6. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 18, 2015.
7. Governance and Urban School Improvement: Lessons for New Jersey From Nine Cities (PDF). Institute on Education Law and Policy, Rutgers–Newark. October 2010. pp. 65–68. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
8. "JERSEY CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT For the Year Ended June 30, 2013" (PDF). Jersey City Public Schools. December 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2014.
9. "N.J. ends state takeover of Jersey City's public schools". NJ Advance Media. July 5, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
10. "Nine New Jersey Public Schools Earn National Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education", New Jersey Department of Education, September 28, 2017. Accessed October 18, 2017.
11. "2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools All Public and Non-Public Schools", United States Department of Education. Accessed October 18, 2018.
12. Clark, Adam. "These 18 N.J. schools were named among the best in U.S. by Trump administration", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 2, 2018. Accessed October 18, 2018.
13. 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools Exemplary High Performing Schools, National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Accessed September 26, 2019.
14. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly , August 21, 2012. Accessed September 23, 2012.
15. Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 25, 2009.
16. McGreevey Celebrates Schools that are "Getting it Right": Schools of Excellence Winners Demonstrate Effectiveness of Governor's Education Priorities Archived 2012-10-18 at the Wayback Machine , New Jersey Department of Education press release dated November 21, 2003. Accessed December 15, 2009.
17. UNIFORM POLICY REMINDER Archived 2012-04-27 at the Wayback Machine . Liberty Lines. Jersey City Public Schools. Summer 2011. Volume 14, Issue 5. p. 2. Accessed December 9, 2011.
18. School Data for the Jersey City Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.
19. Schools and General Information, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021. "The Jersey City Public Schools offers a diverse array of schools. We have fourteen (14) Elementary Schools (Pre-K--5), thirteen (13) Grammar Schools (Pre-K-8), four (4) Middle Schools (6-8), six (6) High Schools (9-12), one (1) Secondary School (6-12), one (1) Alternative Program (serving grades 6-12), and three (3) Early Childhood Centers."
20. 2020-2021 School/Principals, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
21. School Performance Reports for the Jersey City Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
22. New Jersey School Directory for the Jersey City Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
23. Elementary Schools, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
24. Frank R. Conwell School P.S. 3, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
25. Jotham W. Wakeman School P.S. 6, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
26. Charles E. Trefurt School P.S. 8, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
27. Julia A. Barnes School P.S. 12, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
28. Cornelia F. Bradford School P.S. 16, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
29. Dr. Maya Angelou School P.S. 20, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
30. Rev. Dr. Ercel F. Webb School P.S. 22, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
31. Nicholas Copernicus School P.S. 25, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
32. Patricia M. Noonan School P.S. 26, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
33. Gladys Cannon Nunery School P.S. 29, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
34. Alexander D. Sullivan School P.S. 30, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
35. Dr. Paul Rafalides School P.S. 33, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
36. Gerard J. Dynes N.J. Regional Day School, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
37. Grammar Schools, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
38. Dr. Michael Conti School P.S. 5, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
39. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School P.S. 11, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
40. Ollie E. Culbreath Jr. School P.S. 14, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
41. Whitney M. Young Jr. School P.S. 15, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
42. Joseph H. Brensinger School P.S. 17, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
43. Mahatma Gandhi School P.S. 23, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
44. Chaplain Charles Watters School P.S. 24, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
45. Alfred E. Zampella School P.S. 27, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
46. Christa McAuliffe School P.S. 28, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
47. President Barack Obama Elementary School P.S. 34, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
48. Rafael De J. Cordero School P.S. 37, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
49. James F. Murray School P.S. 38, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
50. Dr. Charles P. DeFuccio School P.S. 39, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
51. Fred W. Martin Center for the Arts, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
52. Middle Schools, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
53. Frank R. Conwell Middle School - M.S. 4, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
54. Frank L. Williams Middle School - M.S. 7, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
55. Ezra L. Nolan Middle School - M.S. 40, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
56. Principal's Message, Ezra L. Nolan Middle School #40. Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed April 15, 2024.
57. Academy I Middle School, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
58. High Schools, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
59. Academy of the Sciences at William L. Dickinson High School, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
60. Academy of International Enterprise at James J. Ferris High School, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
61. Infinity Institute, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
62. Innovation High School, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
63. Liberty High School, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
64. Academy of Governance and Social Sciences at Lincoln High School, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
65. Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
66. Academy of the Arts at Henry Snyder High School, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed May 12, 2021.
67. About Us, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed March 29, 2022.
68. New Jersey School Directory for Hudson County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 12, 2021.
69. Superintendent's Message, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed March 29, 2022.
70. 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.
71. Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Jersey City Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2024. ""
72. Board Members, Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed March 29, 2022.

External links

• New Jersey portal
• Schools portal

• Jersey City Public Schools
• School Performance Reports for the Jersey City Public Schools , New Jersey Department of Education
• School Data for the Jersey City Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics