Chester School District

The Chester School District is a fully accredited elementary public school district responsible for the education of students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grades from Chester Borough and Chester Township, two municipalities in Morris County, New Jersey, United States.[3]

Not to be confused with Chester Upland School District in Pennsylvania.

Chester School District
Address
415 Route 24
(Chester Township)
, (Morris County), (New Jersey), 07930
United States
Coordinates40.7781°N 74.6670°W / 40.7781; -74.6670
District information
GradesPreK-8
SuperintendentChristina VanWoert
Business administratorTanya Dawson
Schools3
Students and staff
Enrollment1,047 (as of 2020–21)[1]
Faculty106.1 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio9.9:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupJ
Websitewww.chester-nj.org
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		K-8
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$19,58274$18,8913.7%
1Budgetary Cost14,7835714,1594.4%
2Classroom Instruction8,836528,6592.0%
6Support Services2,442622,16712.7%
8Administrative Cost1,678541,5478.5%
10Operations & Maintenance1,699581,6125.4%
13Extracurricular Activities110551045.8%
16Median Teacher Salary62,7355461,136
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of K-8 districts with more than 750 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=84

As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,047 students and 106.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.9:1.[1]

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

Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades in both communities attend West Morris Mendham High School, which serves students from the surrounding Morris County school districts of Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough and Mendham Township. The high school is part of the West Morris Regional High School District, which also serves students from Washington Township, who attend West Morris Central High School[5] As of the 2020–21 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,142 students and 91.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1.[6]

History

In June 2015, a feasibility study was released that discussed potential changes to the West Morris Regional High School District. In one scenario, West Morris Mendham High School would be stripped away from the district to become a standalone regional high school for the Chesters and Mendhams. In the second scenario, the existing PreK-8 districts would be dissolved and combined with West Morris Mendham to create a consolidated PreK-12 district. In either scenario, Washington Township would take over West Morris Central High School and become its own PreK-12 district. Significant tax savings would have been achieved for the Chesters and Mendhams under both scenarios, with equivalent tax increases for Washington Township.[7]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[8]) are:[9][10][11]

Elementary schools
  • Dickerson Elementary School[12] with 317 students in grades PreK-2
    • Melissa Fair, principal[13]
  • Bragg Elementary School[14] with 325 students in grades 3-5
    • Michele Stanton, principal[15]
Middle school
  • Black River Middle School[16] with 402 students in grades 6-8
    • Andrew White, principal[17]

Dickerson and Bragg Schools are located on County Route 510, east of Chester Borough; Black River Middle School is on County Route 513 (North Road), north of Chester Borough.[3]

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[18]

  • Dr. Christina VanWoert, superintendent[19]
  • Tanya Dawson, business administrator and board secretary[20]

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.[21][22] As a consolidated school district, all residents in the two constituent municipalities vote for board members who represent the entire district, not just the municipality in which they reside.[23]

References
  1. District information for Chester Township 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. About Our District, Chester School District. Accessed February 12, 2020. "Students in grades nine through twelve go to the West Morris Regional High School District. The district is composed of Dickerson Elementary School (K-2), Bragg Intermediate School (3-5), and Black River Middle School (6-8). Dickerson and Bragg Schools are located on Route 24, east of Chester Borough; Black River Middle School is on Route 513 (North Road), north of Chester Borough. The school district serves two municipalities, Chester Borough and Chester Township."
  4. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 3, 2015.
  5. West Morris Regional High School District 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 4, 2016. "Established in 1958, the West Morris Regional High School District operates two schools, West Morris Central High School and West Morris Mendham High School. The regional district serves the students of five Morris County communities: Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township and Washington Township. Students from Washington Township attend West Morris Central High School, and students from the Chesters and the Mendhams attend West Morris Mendham High School."
  6. School data for West Morris Mendham High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  7. Ross Haber and Associates. <ref?West Morris Regional High School District Restructuring Feasibility Study, Chester SChool District, June 2015. Accessed February 12, 2020.
  8. School Data for the Chester School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  9. School Directory, Chester School District. Accessed August 18, 2022.
  10. School Performance Reports for the Chester Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed August 18, 2022.
  11. New Jersey School Directory for the Chester School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  12. Dickerson Elementary School, Chester School District. Accessed August 18, 2022.
  13. About Us, Dickerson School. Accessed August 18, 2022.
  14. Bragg Elementary School, Chester School District. Accessed August 18, 2022.
  15. Contact Information, Bragg School. Accessed August 18, 2022.
  16. Black River Middle School, Chester School District. Accessed August 18, 2022.
  17. Contact Information, Black River Middle School. Accessed August 18, 2022.
  18. New Jersey School Directory for Morris County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  19. Superintendent's Page, Chester School District. Accessed August 18, 2022.
  20. Business Office, Chester School District. Accessed August 18, 2022.
  21. 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.
  22. Board of Education, Chester School District. Accessed February 12, 2020.
  23. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Chester School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2018. Accessed March 1, 2020. "The District provides a full range of educational services appropriate to preschool through eighth grade for the students residing in Chester Township and Chester Borough and is considered a Consolidated School District."
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