The Montclair Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from the Township of Montclair, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The district consists of seven elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising 11 schools, had an enrollment of 6,767 students and 564.8 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1. 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. Each school has a magnet theme, which becomes the focus of the school's teaching style. Students have "freedom of choice" as to which school they want to attend. School selection is not dictated based on location of residence within Montclair. When registering in the district, parents rank their school preferences from highest to lowest, with preferences given for siblings of existing students and special needs. School preferences are accommodated as long as space is available.
District mission
The Montclair School District is dedicated to educational excellence for each and every child. In partnership with parents and the community, the schools will maximize academic and artistic achievement, and develop confident students who are accountable for their ongoing learning, who value initiative and diversity, who achieve the requirements of the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards at all grade levels and who are able to contribute meaningfully to the ever-changing global society.
Awards and recognition
In both the 1989-90 and 1993-94 school years, Watchung School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve. Hillside School was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School for the 1987-88 school year. The district was awarded the New Jersey Governor's Award for Performance Excellence – Silver, was commended by the United States Department of Education as one of six exemplary magnet school programs in the nation, was recognized by The Wall Street Journal for its public schools, and was certified by the New Jersey Department of Education during the 2004-05 school year. Montclair Public Schools was cited for its magnet school program, as one of six school districts nationwide selected as the focus of Innovations in Education: Creating Successful Magnet School Programs, describing those schools whose "successful magnet programs offer a range of contexts, experiences, and perspectives". Nishuane School was named as a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve, in the 1993-94 school year. Watchung School was also named a Star School for 1993-94.
Emidio D'Andrea, Board Secretary / School Business Administrator
Board of education
The district's board of education consists 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, Montclair is one of 15 districts with appointed school boards. In 2009, voters rejected a referendum proposal that would have switched the district from a Type I to a Type II board.
