Burlington County Special Services School District

The Burlington County Special Services School District is a special education public school district headquartered in Westampton, in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, whose schools offer educational and therapeutic services for students of elementary and high school age from across the county who have emotional of physical disabilities that cannot be addressed by their sending districts.

Burlington County Special Services District
Address
20 Pioneer Boulevard
Westampton
, Burlington County, New Jersey, 08060
United States
Coordinates40.0146°N 74.8190°W / 40.0146; -74.8190
District information
GradesSpecial svc.
SuperintendentChristopher J. Nagy
Business administratorAndrew C. Willmott
Schools3
Students and staff
Enrollment467 (as of 2021–22)[1]
Faculty114.0 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio4.1:1[1]
Other information
Websitewww.bcsssd.k12.nj.us
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		Special svc.
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$58,6035$18,891210.2%
1Budgetary Cost60,381657,2525.5%
2Classroom Instruction36,289732,86110.4%
6Support Services10,702511,945−10.4%
8Administrative Cost5,88865,7252.8%
10Operations & Maintenance6,53666,2155.2%
13Extracurricular Activities311319559.5%
16Median Teacher Salary75,810477,183
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of Special svc. districts with any number of students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=8

The Burlington County Special Services School District was established in 1972 by the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders. At first the district served 30 disabled students, but grew within five years to accommodate 500 students from 40 sending school districts in the county. A newly constructed campus for the school was built in Westampton, starting use in January 1983. In 1990, the district opened a high school for at-risk students in Lumberton Township and a K-8 campus was opened the following year in Willingboro Township to help teach students how to overcome their disabilities.[3]

As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 467 students and 114.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 4.1:1.[1]

History

A group of emotionally and physically disabled students from the school district's marching band participated in the inaugural parade for President Bill Clinton.[4] The band also marched in the parade in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the 1993 Miss America pageant.[5]

Saying that he "didn't even know it was a paying job" when he was elected to the Assembly in 1995, Superintendent Carmine DeSopo announced in 1996 that he would donate his entire $35,000 annual salary from the Assembly to the school district's marching band and to a camp the district operated for adult graduates.[6] Having been responsible for the creation of the district, DeSopo announced in March 2001 that he was retiring at the end of the school year from his position as superintendent after 38 years in the field of education.[7][8]

Schools

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

Comprehensive program
  • Main Campus at Westampton[12] with 487 students in grades PreK-12)
    • Dennis Leigh, principal
  • Transition Campus
    • Mary Jean Kneringer, principal
  • Burlington County Alternative High School[13] with 60 students in grades 6-12
    • Joan Barbagiovanni, principal
  • Lumberton Campus[14] with 20 students in grades 6-12
    • Ashanti Holley, interim principal

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[15][16]

  • Christopher J. Nagy, superintendent
  • Andrew C. Willmott, business administrator and board secretary

References
  1. District information for Burlington County Special Services School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022. Note that enrollment was calculated as the sum of the enrollment at each of the three schools and ratio was calculated as total enrollment divided by classroom teacher FTEs.
  2. Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. History, Burlington County Special Services School District. Accessed February 3, 2022.
  4. Staff. "Pageant Decision Is Disappointing, But Burlco Band Plays On The Special Services School's Pioneers Were To Have Marched In A.C., But A Late Application Canceled Their Appearance.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 15, 1993. Accessed June 22, 2010.
  5. Cannon, Kathleen. "Pageant Relents, Will Let Disabled Band March In Parade", The Press of Atlantic City, September 17, 1993. Accessed June 22, 2010.
  6. Johnston, Robert C. and Walsh, Mark. "State Journal: Surprise gift; No charge", Education Week, April 3, 1996. Accessed June 23, 2010.
  7. Staff. "Pioneering Burlco Superintendent Announces His Retirement", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 15, 2001. Accessed June 22, 2010.
  8. Staff. "A new year brings changes in staff, Carmine DeSopo is retiring. Lenape gets ready for a new school. Others come and go.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 26, 2001. Accessed June 22, 2010.
  9. School Data for the Burlington County Special Services School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.
  10. School Performance Reports for the Burlington County Special Services School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 3, 2022.
  11. New Jersey School Directory for the Burlington County Special Services School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  12. Main Campus at Westampton, Burlington County Special Services School District. Accessed June 4, 2023.
  13. Burlington County Alternative High School, Burlington County Special Services School District. Accessed June 4, 2023.
  14. Lumberton Campus, Burlington County Special Services School District. Accessed June 4, 2023.
  15. District Administration, Burlington County Special Services School. Accessed June 4, 2023.
  16. New Jersey School Directory for Burlington County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
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