Bayonne School District

The Bayonne School District is a comprehensive public school district serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Bayonne in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.[3]

Bayonne School District
Address
669 Avenue A
Bayonne
, Hudson County, New Jersey, 07002
United States
Coordinates40.67176°N 74.121234°W / 40.67176; -74.121234
District information
GradesPre-K to 12
SuperintendentJohn J. Niesz
Business administratorDaniel Castles
Schools13
Students and staff
Enrollment10,059 (as of 2020–21)[1]
Faculty763.0 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio13.2:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupCD
Websitebboed.org
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		K-12
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$15,3445$18,891−18.8%
1Budgetary Cost11,998814,783−18.8%
2Classroom Instruction7,963228,763−9.1%
6Support Services1,34822,392−43.6%
8Administrative Cost1,06641,485−28.2%
10Operations & Maintenance1,441291,783−19.2%
13Extracurricular Activities13610268−49.3%
16Median Teacher Salary51,955264,043
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
Midtown Community School 8
Bayonne Junior High School
PS 12, the Bailey School

As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of 13 schools, had an enrollment of 10,059 students and 763.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.2:1.[1]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "CD", the sixth-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]

After the state rejected a budget plan that would have cut 85 positions and raised taxes by almost 4%, the board of education voted in April 2017 to cut a total of 300 positions, including 260 non-tenured teachers, to achieve $6 million in savings from the earlier proposed $133 million budget.[5]

Awards and recognition

During the 2008-09 school year, Public School #14 Gifted & Talented was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education,[6] the highest award an American school can receive. In 2009-2010, Washington Community School was awarded the Blue Ribbon Award.[7][8]

For the 2004–05 school year, Mary J. Donohoe No. 4 School was named a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve.[9] It is the fourth school in Bayonne to receive this honor. The other three are Bayonne High School in 1995-96,[10] Midtown Community School in 1996-97[11] and P.S. #14 in the 1998-99 school year.[12]

During the 2008–09 school year, Washington Community School was awarded the ASCA Honor Council Excellence Award, which is given to school's Student Councils who have met the requirements and completed projects in the areas of in leadership, citizenship, and community service.[13]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[14]) are:[15][16][17][18]

Elementary schools
  • John M. Bailey School No. 12[19] (656 students; in grades PreK-8)
    • Albert McCormick, Jr., Principal
  • Mary J. Donohoe No. 4[20] (459; PreK-8)
    • Philip J. Baccarella, principal
  • Henry E. Harris No. 1[21] (637; PreK-8)
    • Maria Kazmir, principal
  • Lincoln Community School No. 5[22] (433; PreK-8)
    • Keith Makowski, principal
  • Horace Mann No. 6[23] (641; PreK-8)
    • Dr. Catherine Quinn, principal
  • Nicholas Oresko School No. 14[24] (444; PreK-8) an advanced school for gifted and talented students in academics, the arts, and physical education
    • Charles Costello, principal
  • Dr. Walter F. Robinson No. 3[25] (772; PreK-8). The facility was originally opened in 1910 as Bayonne High School, and was changed to an elementary school in the late 1930s when the present high school facility was completed. In 1977, it was renamed after a prominent history teacher who became school principal and assistant superintendent of schools and authored a history of the city of Bayonne.
    • Dr. Karen J. Fiermonte, principal
  • William Shemin Midtown Community School No. 8[26] (1,230; PreK-8). In November 2019, the school was renamed to honor World War I Medal of Honor hero, and Bayonne resident, William Shemin.[27]
    • Dr. Wachera Ragland-Brown, principal
  • Phillip G. Vroom No. 2[28] (485; PreK-8)
    • Stacey Janeczko, principal
  • George Washington Community School No. 9[29] (677; PreK-8)
    • George Becker, principal
  • Woodrow Wilson School No. 10[30] (747; PreK-8)
    • Maureen Hurley-Brown, principal
High school

Dress code

The Bayonne Board of Education has implemented a dress code that took effect in the 2006-2007 school year for students in Pre-K through 8th grade. The plan was intended to "increase student identification with their schools and the district, Eliminate many of the distractions associated with differences in social or economic status, Allow the children, their teachers and the Board of Education to concentrate on shared pursuit of educational excellence and Instill a sense of belonging and school pride".[33][34] A heated battle was fought between enraged parents and grandparents and the board, with parents and grandparents upset at the manner in which the policy was imposed, the cost of the uniforms, the loss of freedom of expression to students in choosing the clothing they wear and issues regarding the manner in which the contract was awarded.[35]

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[36][37]

  • John J. Niesz, superintendent
  • Daniel Castles, business administrator
  • Gary Maita, board secretary[38]

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 2015) 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.[38][39][40]

In a November 2015 referendum, voters approved by a 3-1 margin a change from a Type I (appointed) to Type II (elected) school board.[41]

References
  1. District information for Bayonne 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. Bayonne Board of Education District Policy: Identification, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-K through 12 in the Bayonne School District. Composition: The Bayonne School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the City of Bayonne."
  4. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 30, 2014.
  5. McDonald, Corey. "Bayonne school board votes to lay off nearly 300 district employees", The Jersey Journal, April 27, 2017. Accessed April 27, 2017. "Facing the packed auditorium of the Bayonne High School, the BOE passed resolutions effectively eliminating 261 non-tenured teachers, as well as 15 secretaries, eight engineers, two bus drivers, and other miscellaneous positions amidst the Board's current budget crisis. A number of residents expressed their frustration and impatience with the board, whose previous budget -- $133.1 million with a 3.95 percent tax increase and a projected 85 layoffs -- was rejected by the state."
  6. U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program: 2008 Schools, United States Department of Education. Accessed September 23, 2008.
  7. "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
  8. "Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test", The Washington Post. September 29, 2005. "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
  9. New Jersey Department of Education Star School Award recipient 2004-05, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 23, 2006.
  10. Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 30, 2009.
  11. Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 30, 2009.
  12. Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 30, 2009.
  13. Congratulations to the 2011-12 Student Council Excellence Award Winners!, National Association of Elementary School Principals. Accessed December 30, 2014.
  14. School Data for the Bayonne School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  15. Schools, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  16. Directory / Principals & Assistant Principals Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  17. School Performance Reports for the Bayonne School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  18. New Jersey School Directory for the Bayonne School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  19. John M. Bailey No. 12, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  20. Mary J. Donohoe No. 4, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  21. Henry E. Harris No. 1, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  22. Lincoln Community School No. 5, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  23. Horace Mann No. 6, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  24. Nicholas Oresko School #14, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  25. Dr. Walter F. Robinson No. 3, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  26. William Shemin Midtown Community School No. 8, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  27. "Midtown Community School Renamed for Bayonne War Hero. Actions of William Shemin Saved 30 Lives, Earned him Medal of Honor", TAP intoBayonne, November 22, 2019. Accessed July 14, 2022. "What started out as idea earlier this year became a reality on Nov. 15 when officials gathered to rename Midtown Community School in Shemin’s honor."
  28. Phillip G. Vroom No. 2, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  29. George Washington Community School No. 9, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  30. Woodrow Wilson No. 10, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  31. Bayonne High School, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  32. Bayonne Alternative High School, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  33. A Letter to Parents and Members of the Community Archived July 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, dated July 24, 2006
  34. Dress Code Archived June 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, accessed July 31, 2006
  35. Sullivan, Al. "School uniform policy to raise protest: Angry parents expect to confront School Board at next meeting", The Hudson Reporter, July 28, 2006. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  36. Central Office Administration, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  37. New Jersey School Directory for Hudson County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  38. Board of Education Trustees, Bayonne School District. Accessed July 14, 2022.
  39. 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.
  40. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Bayonne School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2018. Accessed June 30, 2020. "The City of Bayonne School District is a Type II district located in the County of Hudson, 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 and one sending district member appointed annually. The District converted from a Type I District (appointed school board) to a Type II District (elected school board) pursuant to a special question included in the general election held on November 3, 2015.... The purpose of the District is to educate students in grades K-12."
  41. Lin, Jonathan. "Overwhelming majority of Bayonne voters choose to have an elected school board", The Jersey Journal, November 5, 2014, updated January 17, 2019. Accessed January 30, 2020. "Support for changing Bayonne's appointed school board to an elected board has swept the polls. The referendum on whether there should be an elected school board, which appeared on this year's ballot as Bayonne Public Question #2, generated 4,858 or 76.56 percent 'Yes' votes and 1,487 or 23.44 percent 'No' votes."
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