South Orange-Maplewood School District

Last updated

South Orange-Maplewood School District
Address
525 Academy Street
, Essex County , New Jersey , 07040
United States
Coordinates 40°44′10″N74°15′53″W / 40.736009°N 74.264678°W / 40.736009; -74.264678
District information
Grades PreK12
SuperintendentKevin Gilbert (acting)
Business administratorEric Burnside
Schools11
Students and staff
Enrollment7,353 (as of 2019–20) [1]
Faculty576.1 FTEs [1]
Student–teacher ratio12.8:1 [1]
Other information
District Factor Group I
Website www.somsd.k12.nj.us
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending
Rank
(*)
K–12
average
 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$18,65556$18,891−1.2%
1Budgetary Cost14,5655314,783−1.5%
2Classroom Instruction8,589498,763−2.0%
6Support Services2,356542,392−1.5%
8Administrative Cost1,513631,4851.9%
10Operations & Maintenance1,859721,7834.3%
13Extracurricular Activities20032268−25.4%
16Median Teacher Salary74,7608864,043
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

The South Orange-Maplewood School District is a regional public school district, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from the suburban communities of South Orange and Maplewood, two municipalities in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. [3]

Contents

As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of 11 schools, had an enrollment of 7,353 students and 576.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8:1. [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]

History

The school district has operated as a unified organization for the area since 1867 and under the current name since 1894. James Ricalton, a teacher, photographer and world traveler born in New York of Scottish parents who became the school district's first permanent teacher, helped set the high standard of education that persists in the school district to this day. [5]

In October 2014, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint against the South Orange-Maplewood School District in relation to its academic leveling and disciplinary systems, stating that the overuse of discipline and "zero-tolerance" policy, and implicit racial bias within the level selection system violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. [6]

Awards and recognition

For the 1992–93 school year, Columbia High School received the National Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve. [7]

The NAMM Foundation named the district in its 2009 survey of the "Best Communities for Music Education", which included 124 school districts nationwide. [8]

Schools

A South Orange Middle School student protest SOMS NJ Protest.JPG
A South Orange Middle School student protest

Schools in the district (with 2019–20 school enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics [9] ) are: [10] [11] [12]

Preschool
Elementary schools
Maplewood Middle School Maplewood JHS cupola jeh.JPG
Maplewood Middle School
Middle schools
High school

Administration

Members of the district administration are: [25] [26]

Kevin Gilbert was named as acting superintendent in November 2023 after the former superintendent Ronald Taylor was place on administrative leave through the end of his contract in June 2024. [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 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. [29] [30] The district's tax levy is approved by an eight-member Board of School Estimate, which includes two members of the district's board of education and three elected officials each from Maplewood and South Orange. [31]

Related Research Articles

The East Windsor Regional School District is a comprehensive regional public school district in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from East Windsor and Hightstown.

The Evesham Township School District is a comprehensive public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Evesham Township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The West Orange Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in West Orange in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Cranford Township Public Schools is a comprehensive public school district serving students in pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade in Cranford in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The district is governed by a nine-member elected board of education.

The Montgomery Township School District is a comprehensive public school district, consisting of five school facilities, that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Montgomery Township and Rocky Hill, in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Rocky Hill was a non-operating school district whose school children had attended the Montgomery Township schools as part of a sending/receiving relationship, but has since been incorporated into the school district. Montgomery Township had been one of the fastest-growing school districts in New Jersey. In September 1992, the K-12 enrollment was 1,590 compared to 4,924 in September 2005, tripling in just more than a decade.

The Waldwick Public School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Waldwick, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Ringwood Public School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade from Ringwood in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Roselle Park School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Roselle Park, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Dover School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Dover in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lodi Public Schools</span> School district in Bergen County, New Jersey, US

The Lodi Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Lodi, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Egg Harbor Township Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Egg Harbor Township in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Lyndhurst School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Lyndhurst, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Middletown Township Public School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Middletown Township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange Board of Education</span> School district in Essex County, New Jersey, US

Orange Board of Education is a comprehensive community public school district that is headquartered in the city of Orange, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. 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 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. The district was considered high performing as per the New Jersey Department of Education having achieved 80% and above on all indicators within the NJQSAC evaluation in June 2020.

The Moorestown Township Public Schools (MTPS) is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Moorestown, in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Collingswood Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Collingswood, in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Galloway Township Public Schools are a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Galloway Township, in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Brick Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Brick Township, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The South River Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from South River, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

The Mount Olive Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Mount Olive Township, in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 District information for South Orange-Maplewood School District, 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. The School District Of South Orange And Maplewood, New Jersey Bylaw 0110 - Identification. South Orange Maplewood School District. Accessed September 3, 2020. "Composition: The South Orange and Maplewood School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of South Orange and Maplewood."
  4. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 25, 2014.
  5. James Ricalton Lantern Slide Collection, St. Lawrence University Library. Accessed November 5, 2019. "After briefly attending St. Lawrence University (class of 1871) Ricalton left before taking a degree and moved to Maplewood, New Jersey in 1871 where he worked as a school teacher. By all accounts, he was an extraordinary teacher, and his legacy is celebrated in the South Orange-Maplewood School District."
  6. "Complaint against the South Orange Maplewood School District under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973", American Civil Liberties Union, October 9, 2014. Accessed October 31, 2015.
  7. Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed April 11, 2011.
  8. "Nationwide Survey Finds the 'Best Communities for Music Education' in U.S.", NAMM, April 16, 2009. Accessed November 13, 2009.
  9. School Data for the South Orange-Maplewood School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.
  10. Our Schools, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.
  11. School Performance Report for the South Orange-Maplewood School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 25, 2024.
  12. New Jersey School Directory for the South Orange-Maplewood School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  13. Montrose Early Childhood Center, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.
  14. Seth Boyden Elementary Demonstration School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.
  15. Clinton Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.
  16. Jefferson Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed August 27, 2022.
  17. "Jefferson Elementary School Renamed to Delia Bolden Elementary School", South Orange-Maplewood School District, press release dated June 30, 2022. Accessed September 3, 2022. "The South Orange & Maplewood School District Board of Education (BOE) as per Resolution 4320 approved the renaming of Jefferson Elementary School to the Delia Bolden Elementary School during its meeting on Wednesday, June 29. Delia Bolden was the first African American woman to graduate from Columbia High School in 1912."
  18. Marshall Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.
  19. South Mountain Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.
  20. South Mountain Elementary School Annex, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.
  21. Tuscan Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.
  22. Maplewood Middle School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.
  23. South Orange Middle School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.
  24. Columbia High School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 28, 2021.
  25. District Departments, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed May 20, 2022.
  26. New Jersey School Directory for Essex County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  27. Office of the Superintendent, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed January 7, 2024.
  28. Johnson, Deion. "N.J. school district removes superintendent amid complaints", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 10, 2023. Accessed January 7, 2024. "Board members on Nov. 3 voted 6-3 to place Superintendent Ronald Taylor on paid administrative leave until June 30, 2024, when his contract expires. The board named Kevin Gilbert, the district’s former assistant superintendent of access and equity, as acting superintendent."
  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 South Orange-Maplewood School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2020. Accessed October 28, 2021. "The School District of South Orange and Maplewood is a Type II district located in the County of Essex, 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 staggered three-year terms. Financial matters such as annual budgets and proposed debt authorizations are presented to a Board of School Estimate for review and approval."
  31. Board of Education Overview, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed September 3, 2020. "However, the tax levy is approved by a separate entity, the Board of School Estimate, which is comprised of three members of the Village Trustees of South Orange, three members of the Township Committee of Maplewood and two members of the Board of Education."