Berkeley Heights Public Schools

The Berkeley Heights Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district serving students in pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade from Berkeley Heights in Union County, New Jersey.[3]

Berkeley Heights Public Schools
Address
345 Plainfield Avenue
Berkeley Heights
, Union County, 07922
United States
Coordinates40.677107°N 74.440046°W / 40.677107; -74.440046
District information
GradesK-12
SuperintendentMelissa Varley
Business administratorH. Ron Smith (interim)
Schools6
Students and staff
Enrollment2,499 (as of 2020–21)[1]
Faculty230.2 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio10.9:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupI
Websitewww.bhpsnj.org
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		K-12
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$18,41441$18,891−2.5%
1Budgetary Cost14,4184514,783−2.5%
2Classroom Instruction8,978578,7632.5%
6Support Services2,110402,392−11.8%
8Administrative Cost1,468281,485−1.1%
10Operations & Maintenance1,300111,783−27.1%
13Extracurricular Activities5305926897.8%
16Median Teacher Salary69,4575964,043
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 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 2,499 students and 230.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1.[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]

The district's high school serves public school students of Berkeley Heights, along with approximately 300 students from neighboring Borough of Mountainside who are educated at the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Mountainside School District that is covered by an agreement that runs through the end of 2021-22 school year.[5][6] Governor Livingston provides programs for deaf, hard of hearing and cognitively-impaired students in the district and those who are enrolled from all over north-central New Jersey who attend on a tuition basis.[7]

Schools
Main building
Columbia Middle School

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

Early childhood
  • Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood Center[12] with 304 students in PreK-2 grade
    • Anne Corley-Hand, principal[13]
  • William Woodruff Elementary School[14] with 180 students in grades K-2
    • Brenda Marley, principal[15]
Elementary school
  • Thomas P. Hughes Elementary School[16] with 264 students in grades 3-5
    • Jessica Nardi, principal[17]
  • Mountain Park Elementary School[18] with 243 students in grades 3-5
    • Jon Morisseau, principal[19]
Middle school
  • Columbia Middle School[20] with 544 students in grades 6-8
    • Paul Kobliska, principal[21]
High school

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[24][25]

  • Melissa Varley, superintendent
  • H. Ron Smith, interim business administrator and board secretary

Board of education

The district's board of education is comprised of seven 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; a representative appointed by Mountainside also sits on the board. 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.[26][27][28]

The board of education and administrative offices for the district are located in the original Columbia School building on Plainfield Avenue, adjacent to the middle school building.

References
  1. District information for Berkeley Heights 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. Board of Education Bylaws 0110 - Identification, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed July 18, 2022. "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 Berkeley Heights School District, and preschool children identified for special education as required by statute. Composition: The Berkeley Heights School District is comprised of all area within the municipal boundaries of Berkeley Heights."
  4. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 1, 2015.
  5. Berkeley Heights Public School District 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 7, 2016. "In addition to serving the public school students of Berkeley Heights, high school students from the neighboring Borough of Mountainside are educated at Governor Livingston High School."
  6. Mustac, Frank. "Contract Signed to Continue Sending Mountainside Students to Governor Livingston High School", TAP into Mountainside, October 12, 2016. Accessed February 5, 2020. "With the Berkeley Heights Board of Education's recent approval of a renegotiated send/receive agreement, new terms are now in place by which the Mountainside School District will be sending its students in grades nine through 12 to Governor Livingston High School.... The new contract runs for five years from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2022, with a renewal option for an additional five years... The business administrator explained that 30 percent of the Mountainside School District annual budget goes to paying the Berkeley Heights district for sending about 300 students who live in Mountainside to Governor Livingston High School."
  7. Baum, Victoria. "Governor Livingston High School’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Celebrates 42 Years of Innovation and Excellence", TAP into Mountainside, October 29, 2019. Accessed February 28, 2021. "Since 1976, Governor Livingston High School’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program has been offering unique opportunities for high school students throughout the state of New Jersey. This award-winning program is a part of the fabric of Governor Livingston High School and offers a comprehensive curriculum, extensive electives and a variety of extracurricular activities to ensure an outstanding high school experience for all enrolled students. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program at GLHS offers exceptional opportunities to qualifying deaf and hearing-impaired students within the Berkeley Heights School District, as well as other students who attend from neighboring districts through a tuition-based program."
  8. School Data for the Berkeley Heights Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  9. District Map, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed February 28, 2021.
  10. School Performance Reports for the Berkeley Heights School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  11. New Jersey School Directory for the Berkeley Heights Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  12. Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood Center, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  13. Administration, Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood Center. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  14. William Woodruff Elementary School, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  15. Meet the Principal, William Woodruff Elementary School. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  16. Thomas P. Hughes Elementary School, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  17. Administration, Thomas P. Hughes Elementary School. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  18. Mountain Park Elementary School, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  19. Administration, Mountain Park Elementary School. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  20. Columbia Middle School, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  21. Administration, Columbia Middle School. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  22. Governor Livingston High School, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  23. Administration, Governor Livingston High School. Accessed July 18, 2022.
  24. Central Office, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed August 22, 2023.
  25. New Jersey School Directory for Union County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  26. 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.
  27. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Township of Berkeley Heights School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2021. Accessed July 18, 2022. "The District is a Type II District located in Union County, New Jersey. The District is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The District is governed by a seven member board and one sending district member and is responsible for the fiscal control of the District."
  28. Board of Education Members, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed July 18, 2022.
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