Collingswood Public Schools

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, New Jersey, United States.[3]

Collingswood Public Schools
Address
200 Lees Avenue
Collingswood
, Camden County, New Jersey, 08108
United States
Coordinates39.912914°N 75.066992°W / 39.912914; -75.066992
District information
GradesPreK to 12
SuperintendentDr. Fredrick McDowell
Business administratorBeth Ann Coleman
Schools9
Students and staff
Enrollment2,264 (as of 2021–22)[1]
Faculty200.4 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio11.3:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupFG
Websitewww.collingswood.k12.nj.us
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		K-12
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$18,64446$18,891−1.3%
1Budgetary Cost15,7115614,7836.3%
2Classroom Instruction9,178598,7634.7%
6Support Services2,415542,3921.0%
8Administrative Cost1,593471,4857.3%
10Operations & Maintenance1,981601,78311.1%
13Extracurricular Activities5316026898.1%
16Median Teacher Salary61,7502864,043
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of K-12 districts with 1,800-3,500 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=68

As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of nine schools, had an enrollment of 2,264 students and 200.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.3:1.[1]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "FG", the fourth-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 ninth through twelfth grades from Woodlynne attend Collingswood High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Woodlynne School District. Students in grades 6-12 from Oaklyn attend Collingswood's schools as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Oaklyn Public School District.[5][6]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[7]) are:[8][9]

Preschool
  • Collingswood Preschool[10] with 57 students at Penguin and 43 at Oaklyn in PreK
Elementary schools
  • James A. Garfield Elementary School[11] with 131 students in grades K-5
    • Mark Wiltsey, principal
  • Mark Newbie Elementary School[12] with 138 students in grades K-5
    • Steven Smith, principal
  • Thomas Sharp Elementary School[13] with 189 students in grades PreK-5
    • Dr. Karen Principato, principal
  • William P. Tatem Elementary School[14] with 244 students in grades K-5
    • Brian Kulak, principal
  • Zane North Elementary School[15] with 149 students in grades K-5
    • Thomas Santo, principal
Middle school
  • Collingswood Middle School[16] with 526 students in grades 6-8
    • Dr. John McMullin, principal
    • Michael Jefferson, vice principal
High school

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[19]

  • Dr. Fredrick McDowell, superintendent[20]
  • Beth Ann Coleman, business administrator and board secretary
  • Reagan Kaiden, president of the Collingswood Board of Education

Board of education

The district's board of education, comprised of nine elected 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 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] Oaklyn and Woodlynne each have a representative appointed to serve on the Collingswood district board to represent the interests of their respective district.[22][23][24]

Programs

On November 15, 1994, the International Educational Systems (IES) Language Foundation was scheduled to begin an afterschool language program for students of the Collingswood district in the 2nd through 6th grades. For a $36 ($71.08 adjusted for inflation) monthly fee students could take Spanish or French classes. They were to be held for one hour once per week.[25]

Controversy

The school district gained national and international media attention for calling the police on a 3rd grader, who allegedly made inappropriate remarks about brownies served at an end-of-year school party. The incident has brought attention to a school district policy of involving armed law enforcement officers to deal with all school discipline matters including name calling, resulting in up to five police visits a day according to Superintendent Scott Oswald. According to media reports, students are denied access to their parents and legal counsel during law enforcement interrogations, which take place within the school.[26]

References
  1. District information for Collingswood Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  2. Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. Collingswood Board of Education District Bylaws 0110 - Identification, Collingswood Public School. Accessed January 19, 2023. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Kindergarten through 12 in the Collingswood School District. Composition: The Collingswood School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Collingswood."
  4. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 13, 2014.
  5. Collingswood High School, South Jersey magazine. Accessed December 13, 2014. "Collingswood High School serves about 850 students in grades nine through twelve from the Collingswood, Oaklyn, and Woodlynne school districts."
  6. Giordano, Rita. "N.J. puts pressure on schools to share Collingswood, Oaklyn, and Woodlynne are just three districts being pushed to combine services - or more.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 11, 2009. Accessed December 13, 2014. "Collingswood, Oaklyn, and Woodlynne, she said, are reasonable candidates for administrative sharing. Oaklyn Superintendent Tommy Stringer is due to retire in December, and Woodlynne has an interim superintendent, Walter Rudder. Collingswood Superintendent Scott Oswald is established and well-regarded. Oaklyn and Woodlynne students attend Collingswood High School."
  7. School Data for the Collingswood Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  8. School Performance Reports for the Collingswood Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed January 19, 2023.
  9. New Jersey School Directory for the Collingswood Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  10. Collingswood Preschool, Collingswood Public Schools. Accessed January 19, 2023.
  11. James A. Garfield Elementary School, Collingswood Public Schools. Accessed January 19, 2023.
  12. Mark Newbie Elementary School, Collingswood Public Schools. Accessed January 19, 2023.
  13. Thomas Sharp Elementary School, Collingswood Public Schools. Accessed January 19, 2023.
  14. William P. Tatem Elementary School, Collingswood Public Schools. Accessed January 19, 2023.
  15. Zane North Elementary School, Collingswood Public Schools. Accessed January 19, 2023.
  16. Collingswood Middle School, Collingswood Public Schools. Accessed January 19, 2023.
  17. Collingswood High School, Collingswood Public Schools. Accessed January 19, 2023.
  18. Welcome, Collingswood High School. Accessed January 19, 2023.
  19. New Jersey School Directory for Camden County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  20. Superintendent's Office, Collingswood Public Schools. Accessed January 19, 202.
  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, Collingswood Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020. "The Collingswood Board of Education is an 11-member board comprised of 9 elected residents of Collingswood and one representative from the elected boards of each of our sending districts (Oaklyn and Woodlynne). Members serve for three years and are elected on the same date as the School Budget Vote."
  23. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Collingswood School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2019. Accessed July 26, 2020. "The Collingswood School District ('School District') is a Type II district located in the County of Camden, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board of Education 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 School District is to provide educational services for resident students in grades K through 12. In addition, the School District provides educational services for students in grades 9 through 12 received from the Oaklyn School District and the Woodlynne School District, on a tuition basis."
  24. Board of Education, Collingswood Public Schools. Accessed January 19, 2023. "The Collingswood Board of Education is an 11-member board comprised of 9 elected residents of Collingswood and one representative from the elected boards of each of our sending districts (Oaklyn and Woodlynne). Members serve for three years."
  25. Hefler, Jan. "Collingswood Children Can Learn French And Spanish Through Fun Sharp School Is Offering It. It's $36 A Month For An Hour A Week. Songs, Games And Activities Will Be Used." The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 23, 1994. Accessed May 16, 2014.
  26. Platoff, Emma. "Why police were called to a South Jersey third-grade class party", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 28, 2016. Accessed July 26, 2020.
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