Grades K-12 Business administrator Christine Kelly Student-teacher ratio 10.31:1 Number of students 4,153 Faculty 403 | Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast Enrollment 4,153 (as of 2011–12) District Factor Group GH Schools 10 | |
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The Morris School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade from three municipalities in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The communities in the district are Morristown and Morris Township, along with students from Morris Plains in grades 9-12 who attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Morris Plains Schools.
Contents
- Map of Morris School District NJ USA
- Schools
- Administration
- Board of education
- History
- 2017 Frelinghuysen Middle School incedent
- References
Map of Morris School District, NJ, USA
As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's 10 schools had an enrollment of 4,153 students and 403.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.31:1.
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.
In addition to its PreK-12 program, the Morris School District operates a Community School that offers an extensive adult school curriculum. The Community School also provides a before and after-school childcare program, Sunrise Sunset, for Morris School District children of busy parents. Housed in each of the District's elementary schools, Sunrise Sunset offers a supervised environment in which boys and girls can work and play before and after school. The Community School's summer program, Summer Plus, provides children with a local alternative to summer camp.
Schools
Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are:
Administration
Core members of the district's administration are:
Board of education
The Morris School District Board of Education has ten members; five from Morris Township, four from Morristown, and one from Morris Plains. The representatives from Morris Township and Morristown are elected by the voters of each individual municipality to three-year terms of office. The Morris Plains Board of Education appoints a representative to the Morris School District Board to represent Morris Plains on issues affecting Morristown High School, who is also eligible to vote on district-wide issues.
School Board elections are held in April of each year. In addition to selecting members of the Board of Education, voters also are asked to vote on the proposed budget for the subsequent school year.
History
Two schools are known to have operated in near the Green in Morristown in the 18th century. One was in use from 1732–1767; the other, known as the “Steeple School,” stood from 1767 - 1799.
From the early to mid-19th century, local schools included the Franklin Street, Bridge Street, Mt. Kemble, and Washington Valley Schools.
The Maple Avenue School opened in 1869 on land donated by George T. Cobb.
An early, 18th century school, located three miles west of Morristown was described as follows: ”The building was constructed of logs, and instead of glass window, sheep skins were stretched over apertures made by sawing off an occasional log.
In 1971, the district was regionalized under an order by the New Jersey Supreme Court, which ruled that the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education can cross district lines only for desegregation purposes.
2017 Frelinghuysen Middle School incedent
On Thursday, February 23, four swastikas were found etched into a bathroom stall at Frelinghuysen Middle School. Once notified, school officials immediately secured the location and contacted the local police. Subsequently, the police also contacted the County Executive Office and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. After the appropriate documentation by administrators and the police, the offensive symbols were removed. The School is now conducting a very thorough investigation, but have not yet identified the individual responsible for this act.