Springfield Public Schools (New Jersey)

For other uses, see Springfield School District.

The Springfield Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Springfield Township, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.^[3]

Springfield Public Schools
Address
139 Mountain Avenue Springfield Township , Union County, New Jersey, 07081 United States
Coordinates	40.700772°N 74.322952°W / 40.700772; -74.322952
District information
Grades	PreK-12
Superintendent	Rachel Goldberg
Business administrator	Michelle Calas
Schools	5
Students and staff
Enrollment	2,236 (as of 2022–23)[1]
Faculty	168.3 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio	13.3:1[1]
Other information
District Factor Group	GH
Website	www.springfieldschools.com
Ind. Per pupil District spending Rank (*) K-12 average  %± vs. average 1A Total Spending $17,604 29 $18,891 −6.8% 1 Budgetary Cost 13,463 28 14,783 −8.9% 2 Classroom Instruction 7,864 25 8,763 −10.3% 6 Support Services 2,053 34 2,392 −14.2% 8 Administrative Cost 1,272 10 1,485 −14.3% 10 Operations & Maintenance 1,753 47 1,783 −1.7% 13 Extracurricular Activities 403 40 268 50.4% 16 Median Teacher Salary 68,157 50 64,043 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 2022–23 school year, the district, comprising five schools, had an enrollment of 2,236 students and 168.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.3:1.^[1]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "GH", the third-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]

History

Springfield Township became one of the six constituent municipalities of the Union County Regional High School District when it was established, joining Berkeley Heights, Clark, Garwood, Kenilworth and Mountainside. The district opened for students in September 1937, with the district's first facility being Jonathan Dayton Regional High School in Springfield, which was named for founding father Jonathan Dayton.^[5] Amid conflict between the constituent municipalities about financing a district described as "the highest-spending regional high school in the state" and anger from residents impacted by the closure of David Brearley High School, a referendum was held in May 1996 in which voters approved a proposal to breakup the regional district. With the district's dissolution at the end of the 1996-97 school year Jonathan Dayton High School was turned over to the Springfield Public Schools, which became a K-12 district.^[6][7]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[8]) are:^[9][10]

Elementary schools

• Edward V. Walton Early Childhood Center^[11] with 551 students in grades PreK-2
  • Adriana B. Coppola, principal
• James Caldwell Elementary School^[12] with 292 students in grades 3-5
  • David Rennie, principal
• Thelma L. Sandmeier Elementary School^[13] with 245 students in grades 3-5
  • Michael C. Plias, principal

Middle school

• Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School^[14] with 518 students in grades 6-8
  • Timothy P. Kielty, principal

High school

• Jonathan Dayton High School^[15] with 659 students in grades 9-12
  • Norman Francis Jr., principal

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:^[16]

• Rachel Goldberg, superintendent^[17]
• Michelle Calas, school business administrator and board secretary^[18]

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.^[19][20][21]