The Jersey City Public Schools is a comprehensive community
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
school district
A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations.
North America United States
In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...
located in
Jersey City
Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.[Hudson County
Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...]
,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, United States. The district is one of 31 former
Abbott district
''Abbott'' districts are school districts in New Jersey that are provided remedies to ensure that their students receive public education in accordance with the state constitution. They were created in 1985 as a result of the first ruling of ''Abb ...
s statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the
New Jersey Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases challenging the ...
in ''Abbott v. Burke'' which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the
New Jersey Schools Development Authority
The New Jersey Schools Development Authority (commonly referred to as NJSDA or SDA) is the State agency responsible for fully funding and managing the new construction, modernization and renovation of school facilities projects in 31 New Jersey sch ...
.
As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of 39 schools, had an enrollment of 29,113 students and 2,173.0 classroom teachers (on an
FTE basis), for a
student–teacher ratio
Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...
of 13.4:1.
[District information for Jersey City Public Schools]
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...
. Accessed April 1, 2021.
The district is classified by the
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) 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 ...
as being in
District Factor Group
{{refimprove, date=February 2013
Membership in a District Factor Group (DFG) is an indicator of the socioeconomic status of citizens in school districts of New Jersey. DFGs were first developed by the New Jersey Department of Education in 1975 for ...
"B", the second lowest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common
socioeconomic
Socioeconomics (also known as social economics) is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how modern societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of their local ...
characteristics of the local districts. From lowest
socioeconomic status
Socioeconomic status (SES) is an economic and sociological combined total measure of a person's work experience and of an individual's or family's economic access to resources and social position in relation to others. When analyzing a family's ...
to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.
The district was one of three districts in New Jersey (along with
Newark Public Schools
Newark Board of Education is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in the city of Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The state took over the district in ...
and
Paterson Public Schools
The Paterson Public Schools (PPS) is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Paterson, New Jersey, United States. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts sta ...
) under "state intervention", which authorizes the state
Commissioner of Education to intervene in curriculum functions.
[ In 2017, Jersey City became the first school district in New Jersey to regain full local control after having been under "state intervention".]
Awards, recognition and rankings
Academy I Middle School was one of nine public schools recognized in 2017 as Blue Ribbon Schools
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...
by the United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...
. Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School
Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School (often dubbed Academic previous to its dedication, or as McNair) is a magnet public high school located at 123 Coles Street in Jersey City, in Hudson County, United States. The school is named in me ...
was one of 18 schools statewide (and three public high schools) honored in 2018 by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, marking the second time the school was recognized by the program. Infinity Institute
Infinity Institute is a state school, public middle school / Secondary education in the United States, high school located in the Greenville, Jersey City, Greenville section of Jersey City, New Jersey, Jersey City, in Hudson County, New Jersey, ...
was honored by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program in 2019, one of nine schools in the state recognized as Exemplary High Performing Schools.
McNair Academic High School was the second-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 328 schools statewide in ''New Jersey Monthly
''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey. The magazine was started in 1976. It is based in Morristown. In addition to articles of general interest, the publication fe ...
'' magazine's September 2012 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked second in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. William L. Dickinson High School
William L. Dickinson High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school located in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Jersey City Public Sch ...
is the oldest high school in the city and James J. Ferris High School
James J. Ferris High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Jersey City in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, operated as part of the Jersey City Public Schools. The s ...
is represented by some of the top students of Jersey City who are members of the National Academy Foundation
NAF (formerly known as National Academy Foundation) is an industry-sponsored nonprofit with a national network of public-private partnerships that support career academies within traditional high schools. Each academy focuses on a theme that addre ...
Magnet Programs. Academy I Middle School
The Jersey City Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district located in Jersey City, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant ...
is one of the top middle schools in the country. Has been recognized with several achievements, including first place in the Lexus Environmental Challenge in 2008.
Dr. McNair Academic High School was named as a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) 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 ...
, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve, in the 1994-95 school year.
Alexander D. Sullivan School was recognized by Governor Jim McGreevey
James Edward McGreevey (born August 6, 1957) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 52nd governor of New Jersey from 2002 until his resignation in 2004 following the revelation of his extramarital affair w ...
in 2003 as one of 25 schools selected statewide for the First Annual Governor's School of Excellence award.
School uniforms
Students have been required to wear school uniform
A school uniform is a uniform worn by students primarily for a school or otherwise an educational institution.They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries.
An example of a uniform would be requiring button-down shir ...
s since 1998.
Schools
Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...
) are:
Elementary schools
;Elementary schools
Elementary schools in the district are:
* Frank R. Conwell School P.S. 3 (642 students; grades PreK-5)
**Darren Mischel, Principal
* Jotham W. Wakeman School P.S. 6 (664; PreK-5)
**Joseph Apruzzese, Principal
* Charles E. Trefurt School P.S. 8 (755; PreK-5)
**Marisa Migliozzi, Principal
* Julia A. Barnes School P.S. 12 (356; was PreK-8)
**Don Howard, Principal
* Cornelia F. Bradford School P.S. 16 (812; PreK-5)
**Terry Watkins-Williams, Principal
* Dr. Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...
School P.S. 20 (689; PreK-5)
**Hani Ileya, Principal
* Rev. Dr. Ercel F. Webb School P.S. 22 (680; PreK-5)
**Dr. Janine Anderson, Principal
* Nicholas Copernicus School P.S. 25 (669; PreK-5)
**Diane Pistilli, Principal
* Patricia M. Noonan School P.S. 26 (467; PK-5)
**Anne Beirne, Principal
* Gladys Cannon Nunery School P.S. 29 (292; PreK-5)
**Robert O'Connor, Principal
* Alexander D. Sullivan School P.S. 30 (577; PreK-5)
**Dr. Martha Osei-Yaw, Principal
* Dr. Paul Rafalides School P.S. 33 (438; PreK-4)
**Janeen Maniscalco, Principal
* Gerard J. Dynes N.J. Regional Day School (73; Ungraded)
**Colleen Williams, Principal
Grammar schools
Grammar schools in the district are:
* Dr. Michael Conti School P.S. 5 (721; PreK-8)
**John Rivero, Principal
* Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
School P.S. 11 (865; PreK-8)
**Cleopatra Wingard, Principal
* Ollie E. Culbreath Jr. School P.S. 14 (442; PreK-8)
**Sharon Abbruscato, Principal
* Whitney M. Young Jr. School P.S. 15 (645; PreK-8)
**David Herman, Principal
* Joseph H. Brensinger School P.S. 17 (1,283; PreK-8)
**Dr. Robert Brower, Principal
* Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
School P.S. 23 (1,363; PreK-8)
**Dr. Peter Mattaliano, Principal
* Chaplain Charles Watters School P.S. 24 (762; K-8)
**Rosalyn Barnes, Principal
* Alfred E. Zampella School P.S. 27 (901; PreK-8)
**Blanca Jackson, Principal
* Christa McAuliffe School P.S. 28 (1,012; PreK-8)
**Frank Borroto, Principal
* President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
Elementary School P.S. 34 (445; PreK-8)
**Shante Jones, Principal
* Rafael De J. Cordero y Molina School P.S. 37 (814; PreK-8)
**Derek Stanton, Principal
* James F. Murray School P.S. 38 (795; PreK-8)
**Sandra Jones, Principal
* Dr. Charles P. DeFuccio School P.S. 39 (350; PreK-8)
**Dawn Reynolds, Principal
* Fred W. Martin Center for the Arts (481; PreK-8)
**Glenda Jennings, Principal
Middle schools
Middle schools in the district are:
* Frank R. Conwell M.S. 4 (767; 6-8)
**Richard Stellato, Principal
* Frank L. Williams M.S. 7 (896; 6-8)
**Jaimie Barnaskas, Principal
* Ezra L. Nolan M.S. 40 (303; 6-8)
**Troy Smith, Principal
* Academy I Middle School (463; 6-8)
**Dr. Margaret Freeman, Principal
High schools
High schools in the district are:
* William L. Dickinson High School
William L. Dickinson High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school located in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Jersey City Public Sch ...
Academy of the Sciences (1,812; 9-12)
**Gekson Casillas, Principal
* James J. Ferris High School
James J. Ferris High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Jersey City in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, operated as part of the Jersey City Public Schools. The s ...
Academy of International Enterprise (1,298; 9-12)
**Deneen Alford, Principal
* Infinity Institute
Infinity Institute is a state school, public middle school / Secondary education in the United States, high school located in the Greenville, Jersey City, Greenville section of Jersey City, New Jersey, Jersey City, in Hudson County, New Jersey, ...
The school opened in September 2010, offering a magnet college preparatory program with admission based on an admission exam. The school is located in a building in the Greenville section of the city that has been leased from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jerse ...
and that had been the previous home of the Create Charter High School CREATE Charter High School was a four-year public high school that operated under a charter granted by the New Jersey Commissioner of Education. The school was run independently of the Jersey City Public Schools since it opened in September 2001 and ...
, which lost its charter after the 2009-10 school year. (NA; 6-12)
**Dr. Treniere Dobson, Principal
* Innovation High School (309; 9-12)
**Yvonne Waller, Principal
* Liberty High School (231; 9-12)
**Monica Grazilla, Principal
* Lincoln High School Academy of Governance and Social Sciences (677; 9-12)
**Chris Gadsden, Principal
* Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School
Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School (often dubbed Academic previous to its dedication, or as McNair) is a magnet public high school located at 123 Coles Street in Jersey City, in Hudson County, United States. The school is named in me ...
(693; 9-12)
**Tom Macagnano, Principal
* Henry Snyder High School
Academy of the Arts at Henry Snyder High School is a four-year performing arts public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the Greenville section of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, operating as part o ...
Academy of the Arts (708; 9-12)
**Yvonne Waller, Principal
Administration
Core members of the district's administration are:
* Dr. Norma Fernandez, Acting Superintendent
* Regina Robinson, Business Administrator / Board Secretary
Board of Education
The district's board of education
A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution.
The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional are ...
is comprised 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 three seats up for election each year held (since 2013) 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.Board Members
Jersey City Public Schools. Accessed March 29, 2022.
State intervention
The district was formerly one of three districts in New Jersey under "state intervention", which authorizes the Commissioner of Education to intervene in governance of a local public school district (and to intervene in the areas of instruction and program, operations, personnel, and fiscal management) if the Commissioner has determined that a school district failed or was unable to take corrective actions necessary to establish a thorough and efficient system of education.
On October 4, 1989, the New Jersey Department of Education established a State-operated School District for Jersey City, appointing a State District Superintendent to serve as the governing authority for the District instead of the Board of Education, and a new Board of Education was created and functioned as an advisory body. In 2005 the legislature disbanded state operation and created "state intervention".[ The Jersey City Board of Education assumed control of governance and finance on April 17, 2008.][ As of October 2010, although governance had been restored to local control in the form of an elected school board, the state district superintendent remained to manage personnel and curriculum functions.][ Local control for personnel was returned to the district in 2012.][ In July 2017, Jersey City regained full local control with curriculum and programming being returned to the district.]
References
External links
Jersey City Public Schools
*
School Data for the Jersey City Public Schools
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...
{{Hudson County, New Jersey School Districts
New Jersey Abbott Districts
New Jersey District Factor Group B
School districts in Hudson County, New Jersey
Public Schools