West Milford Township Public Schools

The West Milford Township Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from West Milford, in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[3]

West Milford Township Public Schools
Address
46 Highlander Drive
West Milford
, Passaic County, New Jersey, 07480
United States
Coordinates41.081327°N 74.386223°W / 41.081327; -74.386223
District information
GradesPreK-12
SuperintendentLydia Furnari
Business administratorWilliam Scholts
Schools8
Students and staff
Enrollment3,028 (as of 2021–22)[1]
Faculty279.2 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio10.8:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupFG
Websitewww.wmtps.org
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		K-12
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$19,63470$18,8913.9%
1Budgetary Cost16,0768014,7838.7%
2Classroom Instruction9,642848,76310.0%
6Support Services2,439632,3922.0%
8Administrative Cost1,588731,4856.9%
10Operations & Maintenance1,893751,7836.2%
13Extracurricular Activities293692689.3%
16Median Teacher Salary63,8204664,043
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

As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of eight schools, had an enrollment of 3,028 students and 279.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.8:1.[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]

The district has six elementary schools (grades K-5), one middle school (grade 6-8), and one high school (grades 9-12), and also supports a Center for Adult/Community Education.[5] The school system has 361 certified staff members, over 50% of whom have a master's degree or higher.[6]

History

The old Newfoundland, two-room schoolhouse is now the Grasshopper Restaurant. The old Hillcrest School is now the township's community center. The few one-room schoolhouses are all gone; the last one was the Hewitt School, destroyed by fire set by vandals (it had been the former Methodist church before a new, larger church was built).

Students from West Milford had attended Butler High School for grades 9-12 as part of a longstanding sending/receiving relationship that existed until September 1962, when West Milford opened its own high school.[7] The Butler Public Schools had served students from large parts of Morris and Passaic counties, until soaring local enrollment led the district to notify feeder communities in 1954 that they would have to find alternative education options for their high school students.[8]

Awards and recognition

NAMM named the district in its 2009 survey of the "Best Communities for Music Education", which included 124 school districts nationwide.[9]

The district was selected as one of the top "100 Best Communities for Music Education in America 2005" by the American Music Conference.[10]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[11]) are:[12][13][14][15]

Elementary schools
  • Apshawa Elementary School[16] with 999 students in grades K-5
    • Dana Swarts, principal[17]
  • Maple Road Elementary School[18] with 231 students in grades PreK-5
    • William Kane, principal[17]
  • Marshall Hill Elementary School[19] with 251 students in grades K-5
    • Patrick O'Donnell, principal[17]
  • Paradise Knoll Elementary School[20] with 192 students in grades K-5
    • Jennifer Miller, principal[17]
  • Upper Greenwood Lake Elementary School[21] with 192 students in grades K-5
    • Jared Fowler, principal[17]
  • Westbrook Elementary School with 238 students in grades K-5 was closed for the start of the 2023-24 school year.[22]
Middle school
  • Macopin Middle School[23] with 777 students in grades 6-8
    • Gregory Matlosz, principal[17]
High school

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[25][26]

  • Lydia Furnari, Interim superintendent of schools[27]
  • William Scholts, business administrator and board secretary[28]

Board of education

The district's board of education, comprised of nine 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 2013) 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.[29][30][31]

References
  1. District information for West Milford Township 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. West Milford Public Schools District Bylaw 0110 - Identification, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023. "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 twelve in the West Milford School District. Composition: The West Milford School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of West Milford."
  4. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 1, 2014.
  5. New Student Registration Information Grades K-12, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed June 19, 2020. "Welcome to the West Milford Township Public School District. Our District is comprised of, six (6) elementary schools, one (1) middle school and one (1) high school."
  6. Home page, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed August 27, 2008.
  7. Fox v. Bd. Of Ed. Of W. Milford Tp., Justia, decided January 19, 1967. Accessed September 13, 2017. "The school system comprises four elementary schools and a new high school which opened in September 1962. Before that date, pupils of secondary grades were sent to Butler High School in Morris County."
  8. Staff. "Enrollments Tax Schools In Bergen; Auxiliary Rooms Are Being Converted for Classes and Construction Is Pushed", The New York Times, September 5, 1954. Accessed September 13, 2017. "Butler, in near-by Morris County, is taking drastic action to relieve congestion in its high school... Four of these 'sending districts' -- Riverdale, Jefferson Township, Kinnelon and Pequannock Township -- are in Morris County. The others -- Wanaque, Ringwood, West Milford and Bloomingdale -- are in Passaic County. Butler has given Pequannock Township and the four districts in Passaic until 1958 to complete withdrawal of their students."
  9. "Nationwide Survey Finds the 'Best Communities for Music Education' in U.S.", NAMM, April 16, 2009. Accessed November 13, 2009.
  10. Best 100 (101!) Communities for Music Education in America, 2005, Accessed December 12, 2006.
  11. School Data for the West Milford Township Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  12. About Our Schools, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  13. Passaic County 2022–23 Public School Directory, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2023.
  14. School Performance Reports for the West Milford Township Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  15. New Jersey School Directory for the West Milford Township Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  16. Apshawa School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  17. School Principals, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  18. Maple Road Elementary School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  19. Marshall Hill Elementary School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  20. Paradise Knoll Elementary School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  21. Upper Greenwood Lake Elementary School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  22. Zummo, Mike. "Westbrook School will no longer serve elementary students next fall", West Milford Messenger, November 30, 2022. Accessed October 10, 2023. "The West Milford Township School District Board of Education on Tuesday voted to repurpose the Westbrook Elementary School into Highlander Academy, an inclusive special education program. The Restructuring Committee recommended changing the Westbrook School, starting in 2023-24 school year, into an academy for two separate Emotional Regulation Impairment programs, one for middle schoolers and the other for high schoolers."
  23. Macopin Middle School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  24. West Milford High School, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  25. District Administration, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  26. New Jersey School Directory for Passaic County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  27. Superintendent's Welcome, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  28. Business Administrator, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023.
  29. 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.
  30. Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the West Milford Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2022. Accessed October 10, 2023. "The Board of Education ('Board') of the Township of West Milford School District ('District') is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The Township of West Milford School District is a Type II district located in the County of Passaic, 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. The purpose of the District is to educate students in grades K-12. A superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District."
  31. About the Board, West Milford Township Public Schools. Accessed October 10, 2023. "There are nine elected Board of Education Trustees, each serving a rotating three-year term. Each Trustee has an equal vote on all issues. The Board President and Vice President are elected by the School Board for one year of service. The Trustees volunteer their time and do not receive financial compensation for their service."
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