In 2003, Patrick Healy Middle School was identified as one of seven "persistently dangerous" public schools in New Jersey.[7] The designation has since been removed.
The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "A", the lowest 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.[8]
John L. Costley Middle School[29] (367; 8). The school was named in honor of John L. Costley Sr., a local community activist who was a World War I veteran and member of the 369th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters.[30]
Fresh Start Academy Middle / High - Glenwood Campus[35] (NA; 6-12)
Administration
Core members of the district's administration are:[36][37]
Abdulsaleem Hasan, superintendent of schools
Christina Hunt, school business administrator
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 I school district, the board's trustees are appointed by the mayor to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three members up for reappointment each year. Of the more than 600 school districts statewide, East Orange is one of 15 districts with an appointed school 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.[38][39][40][41]
^East Orange Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification. East Orange School District. Accessed September 3, 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 twelve in the East Orange School District. Composition: The East Orange School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the city of East Orange in the County of Essex."
^What We Do: History, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022. "In 1998, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in the Abbott v. Burke case that the State must provide 100 percent funding for all school renovation and construction projects in special-needs school districts. According to the Court, aging, unsafe and overcrowded buildings prevented children from receiving the "thorough and efficient" education required under the New Jersey Constitution.... Full funding for approved projects was authorized for the 31 special-needs districts, known as 'Abbott Districts'."
^Newman, Maria. "Seven Schools in New Jersey Make the 'Dangerous' List ", The New York Times, August 2, 2003. Accessed November 4, 2014. "The New Jersey Department of Education has named seven schools to a list it has published to identify 'persistently dangerous' schools, as mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.... The others are the Lakeside Middle School, in Millville; Atlantic City High School in the Atlantic City School District; Patrick Healy Middle School in the East Orange School District; and Simmons Elementary School in the Clayton Public School District."
^John L. Costley Sr.Archived 2016-08-27 at the Wayback Machine, Costley Middle School. Accessed August 18, 2016. "He enlisted in the army during World War I and served with distinction in France with the infamous 369th Regiment of New York."
^Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the East Orange School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed April 10, 2024. "The East Orange Board of Education (the 'Board' or the 'District') is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an education institution. The Board consists of seven members appointed by the Mayor of the City of East Orange (the City) and is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. A Superintendent of Schools is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District. A School Business Administrator / Board Secretary is also appointed by the Board and oversees the business functions of the District."
^Board of Education, East Orange School District. Accessed May 8, 2020. "The East Orange Board of Education consists of seven members who are appointed by the Mayor of East Orange."
^Roll, Erin. "Montclair Parents Debate Appointed Vs. Elected School Board", Montclair Local, April 4, 2019. Accessed May 9, 2020. "Montclair is one of 11 school districts in New Jersey in which the board of education is appointed by the mayor, rather than elected. And a debate is ensuing among some Montclair residents over whether Montclair should stick with an appointed board, or switch to an elected board.... As of 2018, Montclair was one of only 11 Type I school districts in New Jersey. The other 10 are Ventnor, Port Republic, Rockleigh, Pine Valley, East Orange, East Newark, Union City, Harrison, Trenton and Summit."