New Providence School District
Encyclopedia
The New Providence School District is a comprehensive community public school serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in New Providence
in Union County
, New Jersey
, United States. Students from the unincorporated community of Murray Hill
within the borough attend the New Providence school facilities.
As of the 2008-09 school year, the district's four schools had an enrollment of 2,201 students and 177.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4.
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.
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
, the highest award an American school can receive.
The district was selected as one of the top "100 Best Communities for Music Education in America 2005" by the American Music Conference.
) are:
The middle school and high school share the same building and some of the same facilities (art rooms, auditorium, east wing, west wing, gyms, music rooms, TV production room, cafeteria). Recently a new gym was added to the building along with a handful of new classrooms.
high school; this means that students would have to venture outside in order to switch classes, go to the nurse, use the gym facility, etc. Unfortunately, the area does not have a climate that is ideal for this type of construction; most notably a wet and rainy fall, and occasional severe winters. In the early 1990s, a construction project was undertaken to transform the school from this style to be fully enclosed. Just recently, the open structure that connected the main building to the secondary building was closed with the addition of new classrooms.
currently operates there, as does the Morris-Union Jointure Commission. Right after the Hillview sale, 7th and 8th grade instruction was moved from the elementary schools to the high school, due to rising student populations in the lower grades. During the first few years of this facility merger, the high school population was low enough that they could effectively share facilities but did not have a need to share classrooms. However, school populations readily increased and both the middle and high schools saw the need for extra classrooms. Moreover, during the years of 1997-1998, the school population started to explode at the Kindergarten and first-grade levels, indicating that there would be a future need for expanded facilities.
The district and town recognized the need for expanded facilities. In 1998 the Board of Education floated bonds to pay for several construction efforts. Four new classrooms were added in 1998. A new television studio and music room was added in 2001. In 2003, a new gym was built and the cafeteria was expanded. These construction projects would not have been necessary if the town had retained its Hillview facility, causing some residents to consider the wisdom of selling the facility in the first place. The critics' main concern is the perceivable lack of long-term considerations. Currently, the owners of Hillview have no desire to sell the facility back to the borough. Hillview can be seen here. As of September 27, 2005 a $10 million bond was passed by referendum
for additional school construction. Geoffrey Gordon has since moved to another school district in New York State as superintendent.
New Providence, New Jersey
New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County...
in Union County
Union County, New Jersey
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 536,499. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Elizabeth. Union County ranks 93rd among the highest-income counties in the United States. It also ranks 74th in...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States. Students from the unincorporated community of Murray Hill
Murray Hill, New Jersey
Murray Hill is an unincorporated area within portions of both Berkeley Heights and New Providence, located in Union County in northern New Jersey, United States....
within the borough attend the New Providence school facilities.
As of the 2008-09 school year, the district's four schools had an enrollment of 2,201 students and 177.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4.
The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...
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.
Awards and recognition
During the 2007-08 school year, New Providence Middle School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon SchoolBlue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, the highest award an American school can receive.
The district was selected as one of the top "100 Best Communities for Music Education in America 2005" by the American Music Conference.
Schools
Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) are:
- Allen W. Roberts Elementary School (grades K-6; 613 students)
- Michael Barcadepone - Principal
- Salt Brook Elementary School (K-6; 625)
- Jeannie Maier - Principal
- New Providence Middle School (7&8; 331)
- Gina M. Hansen - Principal
- New Providence High SchoolNew Providence High SchoolNew Providence High School is a public high school in the borough of New Providence, in Union County, New Jersey, operating as the only high school in the New Providence School District, serving students in grades 9 through 12. New Providence High School opened on September 8, 1958 with its first...
(9-12; 632)- Paul Casarico - Principal
The middle school and high school share the same building and some of the same facilities (art rooms, auditorium, east wing, west wing, gyms, music rooms, TV production room, cafeteria). Recently a new gym was added to the building along with a handful of new classrooms.
School design
Allen W. Roberts School, built in 1962, was created in the style of a CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
high school; this means that students would have to venture outside in order to switch classes, go to the nurse, use the gym facility, etc. Unfortunately, the area does not have a climate that is ideal for this type of construction; most notably a wet and rainy fall, and occasional severe winters. In the early 1990s, a construction project was undertaken to transform the school from this style to be fully enclosed. Just recently, the open structure that connected the main building to the secondary building was closed with the addition of new classrooms.
Population and expansion crisis
New Providence used to have another elementary school, Hillview. Hillview was being leased to a local child care provider, since student populations in the 1980s and 1990s did not necessitate a third elementary school. In the early 1990s, it was determined that it was no longer necessary to keep this school. Moreover, it was felt that the cost to modernize the school, mostly in HVAC infrastructure and asbestos removal, was too costly and would not be worth the fund allocation. In an effort spearheaded by then Superintendent Geoffrey Gordon, Hillview was sold to private and public interests: a YMCAYMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
currently operates there, as does the Morris-Union Jointure Commission. Right after the Hillview sale, 7th and 8th grade instruction was moved from the elementary schools to the high school, due to rising student populations in the lower grades. During the first few years of this facility merger, the high school population was low enough that they could effectively share facilities but did not have a need to share classrooms. However, school populations readily increased and both the middle and high schools saw the need for extra classrooms. Moreover, during the years of 1997-1998, the school population started to explode at the Kindergarten and first-grade levels, indicating that there would be a future need for expanded facilities.
The district and town recognized the need for expanded facilities. In 1998 the Board of Education floated bonds to pay for several construction efforts. Four new classrooms were added in 1998. A new television studio and music room was added in 2001. In 2003, a new gym was built and the cafeteria was expanded. These construction projects would not have been necessary if the town had retained its Hillview facility, causing some residents to consider the wisdom of selling the facility in the first place. The critics' main concern is the perceivable lack of long-term considerations. Currently, the owners of Hillview have no desire to sell the facility back to the borough. Hillview can be seen here. As of September 27, 2005 a $10 million bond was passed by referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
for additional school construction. Geoffrey Gordon has since moved to another school district in New York State as superintendent.
Administration
Core members of the district's administration are:- Dr. David M. Miceli, Superintendent
- James Testa, Business Administrator / Board Secretary
External links
- New Providence School District
- Data for the New Providence School District, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...