South Orange-Maplewood School District
South Orange-Maplewood School District | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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525 Academy Street Maplewood, NJ 07040 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
District information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Grades | K–12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Superintendent | John Ramos, EdD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Business administrator | Cheryl Schneider | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Schools | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Students and staff | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Enrollment | 6,515 (as of 2011-12)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Faculty | 527.3 FTEs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Student–teacher ratio | 12.36:1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
District Factor Group | I | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The South Orange-Maplewood School District is a regional public school district, serving students from two communities in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The district enrolls students from the suburban communities of South Orange and neighboring Maplewood.
As of the 2011–12 school year, the district's nine schools had an enrollment of 6,515 students and 527.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.36:1.[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.[3]
History
The school district has operated as a unified organization for the area since 1867 and under the current name since 1894. Its first permanent teacher and principal was James Ricalton, who was a noted photographer and world traveler.
In October 2014, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint against the South Orange-Maplewood School District in relation to its academic leveling and disciplinary systems, stating that the overuse of discipline and "zero-tolerance" policy, and implicit racial bias within the level selection system violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.[4]
Awards and recognition
For the 1992–93 school year, Columbia High School received the Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.[5]
NAMM named the district in its 2009 survey of the "Best Communities for Music Education", which included 124 school districts nationwide.[6]
Schools
Schools in the district (with 2011-12 school enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[7]) are:[8][9]
- Elementary schools (K-5)
- Seth Boyden Elementary Demonstration Schooll[10] (grades K–5, 514 students) – Maplewood
- Mark Quiles, Principal
- Raquel Horn, Assistant Principal
- Clinton Elementary School[11] (K–5, 500) – Maplewood
- Patricia O'Neill, Principal
- Ann Bodnar, Assistant Principal
- Jefferson Elementary School[12] (3–5, 503) – Maplewood
- Kimberly Hutchinson, Principal
- Laura Swyberius, Assistant Principal
- Marshall Elementary School[13] (K–2, 482) – South Orange
- Bonita Samuels, Principal
- Erika Gomez, Assistant Principal
- South Mountain Elementary School and Annex[14] (K–5, 623) – South Orange
- Marianne Hess, Interim Principal
- Courtney DeVomecourt, Interim Assistant Principal
- Tuscan Elementary School[15] (K–5, 609) – Maplewood
- Malikah Majeed, Principal
- Kevin Mason, Assistant Principal
- Middle schools
- Maplewood Middle School[16] (753; 6–8) – Maplewood
- Jerrill Adams, Principal
- Louis Brown, Assistant Principal
- Marc Gold, Assistant Principal
- South Orange Middle School[17] (673; 6–8) – South Orange
- Lynn Irby, Principal
- James Jennings, Assistant Principal
- Carla Ridley, Interim Assistant Principal
- High school
- Columbia High School[18] (1,858 students) for grades 9–12 – Maplewood
- Elizabeth Aaron, Principal
- Terry Woolard, Assistant Principal
- Cheryline Hewitt, Assistant Principal
- Charles Ezell, Assistant Principal
Administration
Members of the district administration are:[19][20]
- Dr. John Ramos, Superintendent
- Cheryl Schneider, Business Administrator / Board Secretary
References
- ^ a b District information for South Orange-Maplewood School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed October 25, 2014.
- ^ Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
- ^ NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 25, 2014.
- ^ "Complaint against the South Orange Maplewood School District under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973", American Civil Liberties Union, October 9, 2014. Accessed October 31, 2015.
- ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed April 11, 2011.
- ^ "Nationwide Survey Finds the 'Best Communities for Music Education' in U.S.", NAMM, April 16, 2009. Accessed November 13, 2009.
- ^ School Data for the South Orange-Maplewood School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed October 25, 2014.
- ^ Schools, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 25, 2014.
- ^ New Jersey School Directory for the South Orange-Maplewood School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 25, 2014.
- ^ Seth Boyden Elementary Demonstration School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 25, 2014.
- ^ Clinton Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 25, 2014.
- ^ Jefferson Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 25, 2014.
- ^ Marshall Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 25, 2014.
- ^ South Mountain Elementary School and Annex, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed September 3, 2015.
- ^ Tuscan Elementary School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 25, 2014.
- ^ Maplewood Middle School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed October 25, 2014.
- ^ South Orange Middle School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed September 2, 2015.
- ^ Columbia High School, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed September 3, 2015.
- ^ District Administrators, South Orange-Maplewood School District. Accessed September 3, 2015.
- ^ New Jersey School Directory for Essex County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 25, 2014.