Lower Township School District

Lower Township School District
Carl T. Mitnick School in Cold Spring, which houses grades 1-2 and the school district administration
Address
905 Seashore Road Lower Township , Cape May County , New Jersey , 08204 United States
Coordinates	38°58′13″N74°55′14″W / 38.970405°N 74.920651°W / 38.970405; -74.920651
District information
Grades	PreK-6
Superintendent	Jeff Samaniego
Business administrator	Frank Onorato
Schools	4
Students and staff
Enrollment	1,519 (as of 2020–21) [1]
Faculty	149.6 FTEs [1]
Student–teacher ratio	10.2:1 [1]
Other information
District Factor Group	B
Website	lowertwpschools.com
Ind. Per pupil District spending Rank (*) K-6 average  %± vs. average 1A Total Spending $16,929 25 $18,891 −10.4% 1 Budgetary Cost 13,611 19 13,649 −0.3% 2 Classroom Instruction 8,170 19 8,366 −2.3% 6 Support Services 2,259 30 2,161 4.5% 8 Administrative Cost 1,284 9 1,467 −12.5% 10 Operations & Maintenance 1,714 38 1,552 10.4% 16 Median Teacher Salary 55,899 25 57,437 Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending. [2] *Of K-6 districts with any number of students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=59

The Lower Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Lower Township, in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ^[3]

As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,519 students and 149.6 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 "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. ^[4]

The Lower Township School District participates in the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, which allows non-resident students to attend the district's schools without cost to their parents, with tuition paid by the state. Seats in the program for non-resident students are specified by the district and are allocated by lottery. ^{[5] [6]}

For seventh through twelfth grades, public school students attend the schools of the Lower Cape May Regional School District, which also serves students from Cape May City and West Cape May, along with students from Cape May Point who attend the district as part of a sending/receiving relationship. ^{[7] [8]} Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ^[9] ) are Richard M. Teitelman Middle School ^[10] with 480 students in grades 7-8 and Lower Cape May Regional High School ^[11] with 750 students in grades 9–12. ^{[12] [13]}

History

In 1931, Cape May Point School District closed its only school and began sending students to Lower Township schools. ^[14] Currently Cape May Point sends to Cape May City Elementary School.

Awards and recognition

Maud Abrams 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. ^[15]

Schools and facilities

Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ^[16] ) are: ^{[17] [18] [19]}

• David C. Douglass Veterans Memorial School ^[20] with 312 students in grades PreK-K
  • The school is in the Villas census-designated place. ^{[21] [22]} Its building capacity is 529. ^{[23] : 16}
  • Christopher Shivers, principal ^[24]
• Carl T. Mitnick School ^[25] with 440 students in grades 1-2
  • The school is in the Cold Spring community. ^[26] Its student capacity is 552. ^{[23] : 16} The district administration is on the school property, behind the main school building. ^{[27] [28]} Additionally the property houses the Lower Township Children's Memorial Garden, which is in honor of students who died. ^[29] The school was named after Carl T. Mitnick, who donated land to the township. ^[30] He developed Tranquility Park and did development in North Cape May. ^[31]
  • Christina Granero, principal ^[24]
• Maud T. Abrams School ^[32] with 355 students in grades 3-4
  • The school is in the Cold Spring community. ^[33] Groundbreaking occurred in 1966, and its cost was to be $595,000. ^[34] Its building capacity is 616. ^{[23] : 16}
  • John King, principal ^[24]
• Charles W. Sandman Consolidated School ^[35] with 388 students in grades 5-6
  • The school is in the Cold Spring community. ^[36] Its building capacity is 518. ^{[23] : 16}
  • The Lower Township Consolidated School opened circa 1930. Articles described it as being in Cold Spring, ^[37] or in Erma. In 1932 a fire destroyed the building, which was described as having ten, ^[38] or eight rooms. ^[37] The building was replaced, and in 1949 there were plans to convert a kitchen and an auditorium into classrooms. ^[39] In 1986 it was renamed after Charles W. Sandman Jr. after all members of the school board agreed to do so. ^[40]
  • The district administration was formerly in the Sandman facility. ^[41] It occupied what the district called a "brown Victorian structure". ^[42] By 2017 this administration building was demolished. ^[43]
  • Van Cathcart, principal ^[24]

• 
  David C. Douglass Memorial School in Villas, which has preschool and kindergarten classes
• 
  Maud Abrams School in Cold Spring, which houses grades 3-4
• 
  Charles W. Sandman Consolidated School in Cold Spring, which houses grades 5-6 (previously the administration building was next to it)

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are: ^{[24] [44]}

• Jeff Samaniego, superintendent
• Frank Onorato, interim 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 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. ^{[45] [46] [47]}

References

1. District information for Lower Township Elementary 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. Lower Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Lower Township School District. Accessed August 4, 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 six in the Lower Township School District. Composition: The Lower Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Lower Township."
4. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 17, 2014.
5. Interdistrict Public School Choice Program List of Operating Choice Districts: 2018-2019 School Year, New Jersey Department of Education, September 18, 2017. Accessed January 11, 2018.
6. Lower Township Elementary District Choice Program Profile, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed January 11, 2018.
7. Interdistrict Public School Choice, Lower Cape May Regional School District. Accessed February 11, 2020. "Lower Cape May Regional High School is a four year comprehensive public High School that serves students from Cape May, West Cape May, Lower Township, Cape May Point and now Choice School students."
8. Linehan, Mary. "Cape May makes new push to dissolve Lower Cape May Regional school district", The Gazette of Cape May, June 20, 2013. Accessed January 11, 2018. "The regional school district was formed in 1956 and now serves as a limited purpose regional school district educating students from Cape May, Cape May Point, West Cape May and Lower Township. Cape May Point students attend on a 'sending-receiving' basis."
9. School Data for the Lower Cape May Regional High School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
10. General Information, Richard M. Teitelman Middle School. Accessed August 4, 2022.
11. General Information, Lower Cape May Regional High School. Accessed August 4, 2022.
12. School Performance Reports for the Lower Cape May Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
13. New Jersey School Directory for the Lower Cape May Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
14. Degener, Richard (March 27, 2013). "No students to support in Cape May Point school budget". Press of Atlantic City . Retrieved June 6, 2021.
15. 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 211, 2003. Accessed December 15, 2009.
16. School Data for the Lower Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
17. Student-Parent Handbook 2019-2020, Lower Township School District. Accessed August 4, 2022.
18. School Performance Reports for the Lower Township Elementary School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
19. New Jersey School Directory for the Lower Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
20. David C. Douglass Veterans Memorial School, Lower Township School District. Accessed February 11, 2020.
21. "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Villas CDP, NJ" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved September 23, 2020.
    The area was identical as of the 2000 U.S. Census: "CENSUS 2000 BLOCK MAP: VILLAS CDP" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved September 23, 2020. - Pages 1 and 2.
    Also identical in the 1990 U.S. Census: "1990 COUNTY BLOCK MAP (RECREATED): CAPE MAY County" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved September 23, 2020. - Villas CDP is on pages 25 and 29.
    Memorial School is in the CDP.
22. "Memorial Directions". Lower Township School District. Retrieved September 23, 2020. [...]Memorial Elementary School - 2600 Bayshore Road, Villas, NJ 08204
23. Johnson, Virgil; and Kirtland, James L. "A Feasibility Study to Reconfigure the Lower Cape May Regional School District", Statistical Forecasting LLC, June 2013. Retrieved on May 16, 2021.
24. Staff, Lower Township School District. Accessed February 11, 2020.
25. Carl T. Mitnick School, Lower Township School District. Accessed February 11, 2020.
26. Fichter, Jack (January 17, 2008). "VIDEO: Mitnick School Students Experience Jazz". Cape May County Herald . Retrieved May 16, 2021. [...]Mitnick School in Cold Spring[...]
27. "7-23-18.pdf" (PDF). Lower Township School District. Retrieved May 16, 2021. Board Office 905 Seashore Road Cape May, New Jersey 08204 Carl T. Mitnick School 905 Seashore Road Cape May, NJ 08204
28. "CHOICE INFORMATION 2019-2020 School year" (PDF). Lower Township School District. Retrieved May 16, 2021. ADMINISTRATION BUILDING (LOCATED BEHIND THE CARL T. MITNICK SCHOOL) 905 SEASHORE ROAD, CAPE MAY, NJ 08204
29. Knight, Karen (June 8, 2016). "Unveil 15th Name On Monument". Cape May County Herald . Retrieved May 16, 2021.
30. Wallace, Andy (October 23, 1992). "Carl T. Mitnick, 87, builder in S. Jersey, philanthropist". Philadelphia Inquirer . p. B12. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
31. Lambert, Bruce (October 19, 1992). "C. T. Mitnick, 87, Home Builder And Philanthropist in New Jersey". The New York Times . Retrieved June 11, 2021.
32. Maud T. Abrams School, Lower Township School District. Accessed February 11, 2020.
33. Campbell, Al (January 5, 2010). "Two Boys, Two Families Rejoice at Births on New Year's Day 2010". Cape May County Herald . Retrieved May 16, 2021. [...]Maud Abrams Elementary School in Cold Spring[...]
34. "Not clear from the article preview". The Press of Atlantic City . March 23, 1966. A major ste[...] was [...] with groundbreakin[...]for the $595,000 Maud Abram[...]primary school. - See previews at search page
35. Charles W. Sandman Consolidated School, Lower Township School District. Accessed February 11, 2020.
36. Hovik, Johanna (August 29, 2016). "Teacher Preps for New School Year". Cape May County Herald . Retrieved May 16, 2021. [...]Charles W. Sandman Consolidated School in Cold Spring,[...]
37. "Pump Water Half-Mile To Save Schoolhouse". Plainfield Courier-News . Vol. XXXX, no. 47. Plainfield, New Jersey. Associated Press. September 22, 1932. p. 1. - Clipping at Newspapers.com.
38. "Firebug Destroys New Jersey School". The Evening Times . Sayre, Pennsylvania. September 22, 1932. p. 1. Clipping at Newspapers.com.
39. "School Converting Kitchen to Classes". Courier-Post . Camden, New Jersey. September 6, 1949. p. 12. - Clipping at Newspapers.com.
40. Maher, Fred (February 22, 1986). "School? To Honor?". The Press of Atlantic City . The Lower Township Consolidated School soon will be renamed[...] - See previews at search page
41. "Lower Township Elementary School District 834 Seashore Road Cape May, NJ 08204". Lower Township School District. December 13, 2007. Archived from the original on December 13, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2021. Lower Township Elementary School District 834 Seashore Road Cape May, NJ 08204 - The address for Sandman: "Sandman School 838 Seashore Road Cape May, NJ 08204"
42. "Interdistrict Public School Choice". Lower Township School District. October 10, 2009. Archived from the original on October 10, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2021. [...]the Administration Office (brown Victorian structure).
43. "WORK SESSION MINUTES" (PDF). Lower Township School District. April 25, 2017. p. 1.
44. New Jersey School Directory for Cape May County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
45. 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.
46. Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Lower Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2018. Accessed February 3, 2020. "Description of the Reporting Entity - The Lower Township School District (District) is a Tlpe II gchool district located in Cape May County, New Jersey and covers an area of approximately 31 square miles. As a Type II school district, it functions independently through a board of Education. The Board is comprised of nine members elected to three-year terms. These independently through a board of Education. The Board is comprised of nine members elected to three-year terms. These terms are staggered so that three member's terms expire each year. The purpose of the District is to provide educational services for all of Lower Township's students in grades preschool through 6."
47. Board of Education, Lower Township School District. Accessed August 4, 2022.

External links

• Media related to Lower Township School District at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website
  • Lower Township School District (lowertwp.capemayschools.com) at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
• School Performance Reports for the Lower Township School District , New Jersey Department of Education
• School Data for the Lower Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics