Spotswood Public Schools

Spotswood Public Schools
Address
105 Summerhill Road
Spotswood
, Middlesex County, New Jersey, 08884
United States
Coordinates40°23′39″N 74°23′38″W / 40.39413°N 74.393969°W / 40.39413; -74.393969
District information
GradesPreK-12
SuperintendentGraham Peabody
Business administratorVita Marino
Schools4
Students and staff
Enrollment1,610 (as of 2020–21)[1]
Faculty136.5 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio11.8:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupDE
Websitewww.spsd.us
Ind. Per pupil District
spending		 Rank
(*)		 K-12
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$16,78513$18,891−11.1%
1Budgetary Cost12,7811214,783−13.5%
2Classroom Instruction7,549158,763−13.9%
6Support Services1,992232,392−16.7%
8Administrative Cost1,25821,485−15.3%
10Operations & Maintenance1,608271,783−9.8%
13Extracurricular Activities3581226833.6%
16Median Teacher Salary54,000964,043
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of K-12 districts with up to 1,800 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=49

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

Students from Helmetta, a non-operating district, attend school in Spotswood beginning in grammar school.[4] Students from Milltown attend the high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Milltown Public Schools.[5][6][7]

As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprising four schools, had an enrollment of 1,610 students and 136.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1.[1]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "DE", the fifth-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.[8]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[9]) are:[10][11][12]

Elementary schools
  • G. Austin Schoenly Elementary School[13] with 207 students in grades PreK-1
    • Kate Gordon, principal [14]
  • E. Raymond Appleby Elementary School[15] with 334 students in grades 2-5
    • Nancy Torchiano, principal
Middle school
  • Spotswood Memorial Middle School[16] with 349 students in grades 6-8
    • Dan Cugini, principal [17]
High school

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[19][20]

  • Graham Peabody, superintendent[21]
  • Vita Marino, business administrator and board secretary

Board of education

The district's board of education is composed 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 either one or two 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.[22][23][24]

References

  1. ^ a b c d District information for Spotswood Public 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. ^ Spotswood Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Spotswood Public Schools. Accessed June 27, 2022. "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 Spotswood School District. Composition: The Spotswood School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Spotswood."
  4. ^ Donahue, Brian. "State forces school districts to merge; Helmetta district folded into Spotswood school system", Sentinel, July 9, 2009. Accessed February 2, 2017. "State officials last week ordered the consolidation of the Helmetta and Spotswood school districts, a move that some local officials described as abrupt and worrisome.... There will be no change in school attendance as a result of the merger, since Helmetta's 291 K-12 students will continue to be educated in Spotswood's schools."
  5. ^ Fact Sheet 2021-2022, Milltown Public Schools. Accessed June 27, 2022. "Through a formal send–receive contract, approved by the Department of Education, our high school students are sent on a tuition basis to Spotswood High School. Our operating budget supports Parkview School and Joyce Kilmer School, as well as the tuition for students attending Spotswood High School."
  6. ^ Spotswood High School 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July 11, 2016. "I want to welcome you to Spotswood High School, a comprehensive institution that focuses on excellence in academics, the arts, athletics, and community service. Spotswood High School has served the residents in Spotswood, Helmetta, and Milltown since 1976."
  7. ^ About Us, Spotswood Public Schools. Accessed June 27, 2022. "Located in Spotswood, New Jersey, we are a small pre-kindergarten through 12th grade district that educates approximately 1,600 children from the three communities of Spotswood, Helmetta, and Milltown."
  8. ^ NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 18, 2015.
  9. ^ School Data for the Spotswood Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  10. ^ Schools, Spotswood Public Schools. Accessed June 27, 2022.
  11. ^ School Performance Reports for the Spotswood Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
  12. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Spotswood Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  13. ^ G. Austin Schoenly Elementary School, Spotswood Public Schools. Accessed June 27, 2022.
  14. ^ Schools, Accessed August 4, 2024.
  15. ^ E. Raymond Appleby Elementary School, Spotswood Public Schools. Accessed June 27, 2022.
  16. ^ Spotswood Memorial Middle School, Spotswood Public Schools. Accessed June 27, 2022.
  17. ^ Our Staff, Spotswood Public Schools. Accessed August 4, 2024.
  18. ^ Spotswood High School, Spotswood Public Schools. Accessed June 27, 2022.
  19. ^ Staff, Spotswood Public Schools. Accessed June 27, 2022.
  20. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Middlesex County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  21. ^ Superintendent's Office Staff, Spotswood Public Schools. Accessed June 27, 2022.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ Board Members, Spotswood Public Schools. Accessed June 27, 2022.
  24. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Spotswood Borough School District, New Jersey Department of Education for year ending June 30, 2021. Accessed June 27, 2022. "The Spotswood Borough School District is a Type II District located in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The School District is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The Board of Education of the Spotswood Borough School District, comprised of six elected individuals, is the primary governing authority of the District."