Watchung Borough Schools

The Watchung Borough Schools are a comprehensive community public school district, serving students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Watchung, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States.[3]

Watchung Borough Schools
Address
One Dr. Parenty Way
Watchung
, Somerset County, 07069
United States
Coordinates40.637763°N 74.459951°W / 40.637763; -74.459951
District information
GradesPreK-8
SuperintendentGeorge P. Alexis
Business administratorRichard Pepe
Schools2
Students and staff
Enrollment604 (as of 2019–20)[1]
Faculty66.6 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio9.1:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupI
Websitewww.watchungschools.com
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		K-8
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$18,76336$18,891−0.7%
1Budgetary Cost13,3021914,159−6.1%
2Classroom Instruction7,773158,659−10.2%
6Support Services2,086262,167−3.7%
8Administrative Cost1,612271,5474.2%
10Operations & Maintenance1,662391,6123.1%
13Extracurricular Activities114301049.6%
16Median Teacher Salary59,2503061,136
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of K-8 districts with 401-750 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=64

As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 604 students and 66.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.1:1.[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]

Watchung's students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend Watchung Hills Regional High School in Warren Township together with students from the neighboring communities of Green Brook Township and Warren Township (in Somerset County) and Long Hill Township (in Morris County).[5][6] As of the 2019–20 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,948 students and 160.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1.[7]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[8]) are:[9][10][11]

Elementary school
  • Bayberry Elementary School[12] with 326 students in grades PreK – 4
    • Denise Fichner, principal[13]
Middle school
  • Valley View School[14] with 271 students in grades 5 – 8
    • Karin Kidd, principal[13]

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[13][15]

  • George P. Alexis, superintendent
  • Richard Pepe, business administrator

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 day-to-day operation of the district.[16][17][18]

References
  1. District information for Watchung Borough Public 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. Watchung Borough Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Watchung Borough Schools. Accessed February 10, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight in the Watchung Borough School District. Composition: The Watchung Borough School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the Borough of Watchung."
  4. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 3, 2015.
  5. Watchung Hills Regional High School 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 4, 2016. "Close to 2150 students from Green Brook, Long Hill, Warren, and Watchung meet high academic standards and broaden their worldviews as they explore and take risks, discover their passions, and find individual pathways to success."
  6. Somerset County School Districts-Sending/Receiving/Regional, Somerset County Superintendent of Schools. Accessed June 4, 2016. "Watchung Hills ** 9-12 Receives 9-12 From Green Brook, Warren, Watchung, Longhill"
  7. School data for Watchung Hills Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.
  8. School Data for the Watchung Borough Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.
  9. Schools, Watchung Borough Schools. Accessed May 7, 2021.
  10. 2018-2019 Somerset County Public School Directory 2020-2021, Somerset County, New Jersey. Accessed May 7, 2021.
  11. New Jersey School Directory for the Watchung Borough Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  12. Bayberry Elementary School, Watchung Borough Schools. Accessed May 7, 2021.
  13. Administration, Watchung Borough Schools. Accessed May 7, 2021.
  14. Valley View School, Watchung Borough Schools. Accessed May 7, 2021.
  15. New Jersey School Directory for Somerset County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  16. 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.
  17. Board of Education, Watchung Borough Schools. Accessed February 10, 2020.
  18. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Watchung Borough School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2020. Accessed May 7, 2021. "The Board is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The Board consists of elected officials and is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. A superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District."
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