As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of eight schools, had an enrollment of 5,494 students and 495.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.1:1.[1]
The district had been 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.[7]
George L. Catrambone Elementary School was constructed at a total cost over $40 million for a facility that was designed to house 800 students in a facility covering 109,000 square feet (10,100m2) for which construction began in 2012.[22] With the start of the 2014-15 school year, a realignment of the district closed West End School, converted Morris Avenue School for early childhood use and repurposed Audrey W. Clark School for alternative education.[23]
Superintendent pay
In March 2006, the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation issued a report to Governor Jon Corzine specifically and to the public in general that addressed "Questionable and Hidden Compensation for Public School Administrators". The report disclosed that the Long Branch school district had reported to the New Jersey Department of Education that Superintendent of Schools Joseph Ferraina (who retired in 2011) was receiving a base salary of $193,149 when, as the Commission of Investigation stated, he was actually receiving a total compensation of $305,099, some 58% higher than the amount reported to the State.[24] By 2011, Ferraina was earning a base salary of $242,550.[25]
After three years as chief school administrator, Michael Salvatore accepted a contract in August 2014 under which he would earn less in base pay due to the state's superintendent salary cap. The school board approved a $165,000 annual base salary for Salvatore in a contract that expired in June 2019, which is a $10,000 reduction from his previous salary with the district. However, Salvatore's newest endeavor will supplement the contract with $10,000, which entailed governing the Deal School District as a shared service superintendent.[25]
Administration
Core members of the district's administration are:[9][26]
Peter E. Genovese III, business administrator and board secretary[28]
Board of education
The district's board of education, comprised 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.[29][30]
The current members of the Long Branch Board of Education are:[31]
Violeta Peters, Board President (term expires December 2027)
↑ Long Branch Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Long Beach Public Schools, adopted August 18, 2010. Accessed February 26, 2025. "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 Long Branch School District. Composition: The Long Branch School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Long Branch."
↑ 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'."
↑ Sheldon, Christopher. "Long Branch Will Realign Elementary Schools After West End School Closure; The Audrey W. Clark School will also have a new purpose after redistricting.", Long Branch - Eatontown Patch, September 6, 2013. Accessed August 20, 2014. "Kindergarten classrooms will be pulled from the district's current elementary schools and placed into the Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center and Lenna W. Conrow School, which are currently preschools. The Morris Avenue School will also become an exclusive early education center after serving as a home for pre-kindergarten to third grade students."
1 2 Williams, Carol Gorga. "Long Branch educator takes on Deal school", Asbury Park Press, August 7, 2014. Accessed August 20, 2014. "The school board recently approved a $165,000 annual salary for Salvatore in a contract that expires in June 2019. Salvatore, however, will pick up an additional $10,000 a year as the superintendent for the Deal school district."
↑ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the City of Long Branch School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2024. Accessed February 26, 2025ti. "The Long Branch School District is a Type II district located in the County of Monmouth, State of New Jersey. As a Type II District, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is comprised of nine members elected to three-year terms. The purpose of the District is to educate students in grades Pre K - 12. The operations of the District include one preschool, five elementary schools, one middle school, and a senior high school located in the City of Long Branch." See "Roster of Officials" on page 14.
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