Willingboro Township Public Schools

The Willingboro Township Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Willingboro Township, in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States.[3]

Willingboro Township Public Schools
Address
440 Beverly-Rancocas Road
Willingboro, NJ 08046
United States
Coordinates40.019178°N 74.894049°W / 40.019178; -74.894049
District information
GradesPreK-12
SuperintendentNeely Hackett
Business administratorKelvin Smith
Schools8
Students and staff
Enrollment3,203 (as of 2017–18)[1]
Faculty272.0 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio11.8:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupDE
Websitewww.willingboroschools.org
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		K-12
average		%± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$19,41467$18,8912.8%
1Budgetary Cost15,0076114,7831.5%
2Classroom Instruction8,598508,763−1.9%
6Support Services2,201472,392−8.0%
8Administrative Cost1,704891,48514.7%
10Operations & Maintenance2,225901,78324.8%
13Extracurricular Activities25051268−6.7%
16Median Teacher Salary59,4522564,043
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of K-12 districts with more than 3,500 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=103

As of the 2017–18 school year, the district, comprising eight schools, had an enrollment of 3,203 students and 272.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1.[1]

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

In 1994 the district established a task force on how to combat violence perpetrated by students. This was the second time the district had established such a task force in a two-year period.[5]

In 2002 the district had 5,500 students. That year Toni Callas of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that the district had "mediocre test scores and a tainted public image."[6] In 2002 it took steps to implement school uniforms and establish three magnet programs in order to attract students to its schools.[6]

Governance

In January 2004, the district enacted a mandatory school uniform policy.[7]

Awards and recognition

For the 2005-06 school year, Garfield East Elementary School was one of 22 schools statewide selected as Governor's School of Excellence Winners, an award given to schools that have demonstrated significant academic improvement over the previous two academic years.[8]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2017–18 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[9]) are:[10][11]

Early childhood
  • J. Cresswell Stuart Early Childhood Development Center[12] for PreK-K
  • Garfield East Early Childhood Development Center[13] for PreK-K
Elementary schools
  • Hawthorne Elementary School[14] with 393 students in grades 1-4
  • W.R. James Sr. Elementary School[15] with 349 students in grades 1-4
  • Twin Hills Elementary School[16] with 312 students in grades 1-4
Intermediate / middle schools
  • Levitt Intermediate School[17] with NA students in grades 5-6
  • Willingboro Memorial Middle School[18] with 677 students in grades 7-8
High school / alternative (9-12)

The S.W. Bookbinder, J.A. McGinley and Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Schools were closed at the end of the 2005-06 school year as part of an effort to save about $3.6 million, through the reduction of as many as 100 staff members and class sizes increased as large as 27 at the five remaining elementary schools. The cuts were needed to fill a two-year budget deficit of nearly $10 million.[21]

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[22]

  • Neely Hackett, Superintendent[23]
  • Kelvin Smith, Business Administrator / Board Secretary[24]

The district's board of education has 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 2012) as part of the November general election.[25][26][27]

References
  1. District information for Willingboro Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 1, 2019.
  2. Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. Willingboro Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Willingboro Township School District. Composition: The Willingboro Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Willingboro Township."
  4. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 18, 2015.
  5. Benjamin, Jody. "District To Revisit Violence Concerns Willingboro's School Board Will Appoint A New Task Force To Look At The Issue. The Board Already Has A New Safety Plan." (Archive). Philadelphia Inquirer. October 8, 1994. Accessed November 29, 2015.
  6. Callas, Toni. "Willingboro seeks to lure students back The district superintendent hopes magnet schools and other changes will attract pupils from private schools." (Archive). Philadelphia Inquirer, December 14, 2002. Accessed November 29, 2015.
  7. " Trying on a new dress code Willingboro has joined districts that hope uniforms will help improve schools." (Archive). Philadelphia Inquirer, January 16, 2004. Accessed November 29, 2015.
  8. Snapshots of 2005 Governor's School of Excellence Winners, New Jersey Department of Education, backed up by the Internet Archive as of August 28, 2006. Accessed August 25, 2014.
  9. School Data for the Willingboro Township Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 1, 2019.
  10. Contact Information, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020.
  11. New Jersey School Directory for the Willingboro Township Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  12. J. Cresswell Stuart Early Childhood Development Center, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020.
  13. Garfield East Early Childhood Development Center, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020.
  14. Hawthorne Elementary School, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020.
  15. W.R. James Sr. Elementary School, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020.
  16. Twin Hills Elementary School, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020.
  17. Levitt Intermediate School, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020.
  18. Willingboro Memorial Middle School, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020.
  19. Willingboro High School, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020.
  20. Alternative School at Bookbinder, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020.
  21. Coltimore, Edward. "Willingboro district OKs an austere budget The $72 million measure would raise taxes, close schools, cut staff. Voters will decide on April 18.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 29, 2006.Accessed August 25, 2014. "The board voted Saturday to close Martin Luther King Jr., S.W. Bookbinder and J.A. McGinley Elementary Schools on July 1 to save $3.6 million."
  22. New Jersey School Directory for Burlington County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  23. Broadt, Lisa. "Willingboro selects new superintendent", Burlington County Times, February 17, 2020. Accessed February 18, 2020. "Willingboro — A township resident and educator of 24 years has been offered the district’s top leadership role. Neely Hackett, current superintendent of Irvington Public Schools in Essex County, was offered the job following a 6-3 vote of the school board Feb. 10."
  24. Business Office, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020.
  25. New Jersey Boards of Education by District Election Types - 2018 School Election, New Jersey Department of Education, updated February 16, 2018. Accessed January 26, 2020.
  26. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Willingboro Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for the year ending June 30, 2018. Accessed February 18, 2020. "The Willingboro Township Board of Education is a Type II district located in the County of Burlington, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is comprised of nine members appointed to three-year terms. These terms are staggered so that three members' terms expire each year."
  27. Meet the Board of Education, Willingboro Township Public Schools. Accessed February 18, 2020.
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