As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 7,503 students and 576.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.0:1.[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.[5]
History
In 1969, the Union school district was threatened with being the first town north of the Mason–Dixon line to be penalized for school segregation. The area of Vauxhall was primarily black and Jefferson Elementary School was disproportionately black compared to the rest of the town. Union avoided problems by converting Jefferson Elementary into a sixth-grade only school called Central 6 and bused all children in the district in 6th grade to Jefferson Elementary School. It was later renamed Central 5 housing all fifth-grade students because the two junior highs, Burnet and Kawameeh, became middle schools and took on sixth grade students.[6]
Core members of the district's administration are:[20][21]
Gerry Benaquista, superintendent
Yolanda Koon, school business administrator and board secretary
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 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]
^About Union, Union Public School District. Accessed April 21, 2023. "The school system currently operates 10 schools- six kindergarten through Grade Four elementary schools, one elementary school that houses all of the district's Grade Five students, two middle schools (Grades 6-8), and one comprehensive high school. The district employs approximately 1200 individuals and serves roughly 7,200 students."
^Township of Union Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Union Public School District. Accessed November 27, 2024. "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 Township of Union School District. Composition: The Township of Union School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the Township of Union."
^Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Township of Union School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed November 27, 2024. "The Township of Union School 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 nine member board elected to three-year terms 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." See "Roster of Officials" on page 12.
^Board Of Education, Union Public School District. Accessed November 27, 2024. "The Township of Union Public Schools is a Type II school district. Our Board of Education is comprised of nine volunteers who are elected into office to serve three-year terms."
