Cape May City School District is a community public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from Cape May, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, at Cape May City Elementary School.Cape May City Board of Education District Bylaw 0110 - Identification, Cape May City School District, adopted June 18, 2020. Accessed February 24, 2026. "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 six in the Cape May City School District. Composition: The Cape May City School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Cape May City."School Performance Reports for the Cape May City School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed September 1, 2025.New Jersey County School Directory for the Cape May City School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 151 students and 25.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 6.1:1.District information for Cape May City School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
A majority of the students are children of dependents of people at United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, which financially and personnel-wise supports Cape May City Elementary. The district also serves students from Cape May Point,Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Cape May Point School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2020. p. 2 (PDF p. 7). Accessed March 31, 2021. "The District is a sending district and operates no schools and/or facilities. Students are sent on a tuition basis to Cape May City Elementary School for grades PreK-6 and to Lower Cape May Regional School District for grades 7-12." who attend as part of a sending/receiving relationship. This is because its school district, Cape May Point School District, is a non-operating district, meaning it does not operate any schools."13 Non-Operating School Districts Eliminated", New Jersey Department of Education press release dated July 1, 2009. Accessed February 1, 2025. In 2016, one student came from Cape May Point.
The district participates in the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, which allows non-resident students to attend school in the district at no cost to their parents, with tuition covered by the resident district.List of Choice Districts: Choice Program Profiles for 2025-2026 School Year, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed January 1, 2025. Available slots are announced annually by grade.Cape May City Elementary School Choice Profile for 2025-26 School Year, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed January 1, 2025.
In September 2025, the Cape May district began a study to consider combing with the West Cape May School District, which had 83 students the previous year. West Cape May sends its kindergarten students to Cape May, the two districts share a superintendent, who also serves as principal and director of special education for both districts, and they both send students to Lower Cape May Regional for grades 7–12. Complications for the consolidation include potential changes to the $1.2 million paid by the federal government for the two-thirds of Cape May students on the Coast Guard base and the lack of busing for resident students.Jennings, Rob. "2 of N.J.’s smallest school districts may merge", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 17, 2025. Accessed February 24, 2026. "Cape May City and West Cape May recently received a $50,000 grant from the state Department of Community Affairs, which oversees a program providing financial incentives for school districts to study consolidations. Cape May City and West Cape May each operate a single elementary school for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Together, they enroll 241 students — 158 at Cape May City Elementary School and 83 at West Cape May Elementary School.... In Cape May, approximately two-thirds of students live at the U.S. Coast Guard training center.... Students in grades 7 to 12 in both districts already attend the Lower Cape May Regional School District.... Cape May City’s school district received $1.2 million in federal impact aid last year because families on the U.S. Coast Guard base do not pay local school taxes."
For seventh through twelfth grades, public school students attend the schools of the Lower Cape May Regional School District, which serves students from Cape May, Lower Township and West Cape May, along with students from Cape May Point who attend as part of a sending/receiving relationship.Lower Cape May Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Lower Cape May Regional School District, adopted December 18, 2008. Accessed February 25, 2026. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades seven through twelve. Composition: The Lower Cape May Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Cape May, Lower Township, and West Cape May."Johnson, Virgil; and Kirtland, James L. "A Feasibility Study to Reconfigure the Lower Cape May Regional School District", Statistical Forecasting LLC, June 2013. Accessed February 25, 2026. "Cape May City is one of three constituent communities served by the Lower Cape May Regional School District ('Lower Cape May Regional'), a limited purpose school district providing education for the middle and high school students from Cape May City, Lower Township, and West Cape May.... Students from Cape May Point attend on a sending-receiving basis." Schools in the district (with 2024–25 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsSchool Data for the Lower Cape May Regional High School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2026.) are Richard M. Teitelman Middle SchoolGeneral Information, Richard M. Teitelman Middle School. Accessed February 25, 2026. with 394 students in grades 7–8 and Lower Cape May Regional High SchoolGeneral Information, Lower Cape May Regional High School. Accessed February 25, 2026. with 717 students in grades 9–12.School Performance Reports for the Lower Cape May Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed September 1, 2025.New Jersey School Directory for the Lower Cape May Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
History
Indian Queen School, located in a former hotel and integrated racially, was established in 1860 and was replaced in 1867 by racially segregated schools on Franklin Street, because James S. Kennedy, the superintendent of Cape May schools, insisted on racial segregation. The black school was in a one room building while the white school had a multi-room wooden structure. A facility with three stories built around the start of the 20th century housed the white elementary school and an integrated high school. The high school later moved into its own building, and in 1928 a new brick facility for black students was opened. Schools were integrated in 1948, after the 1947 New Jersey Constitution banned racial segregation in education.
In 1958, Paul W. Schmitdtchen became the superintendent of the Cape May school. Schmitdtchen decided to create a new high school, and therefore he is considered the father of LCMRHS, which opened in 1961. Schmitdtchen retired in 1972.Flud, Tom. "Schmidtchen Called 'Father' Of LCMR", Cape May County Herald, June 6, 2011. Accessed February 24, 2026."Successful regionalization must be brought about by a true leader, one with vision, energy and determination. For the four southernmost Cape May County municipalities [which would be Cape May, Cape May Point, West Cape May, and Lower Township], the leader brought in to forge a regional school district was New York born Paul W. Schmitdtchen."
In previous eras the student body was about 300 with some students coming from residents of the United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May. Because property values increased in Cape May, fewer local families could afford housing, and the number of Cape May students declined. Prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks there were discussions about reducing employee levels and possibly merging Cape May Elementary and West Cape May Elementary School. After September 11 the Coast Guard presence increased and enrollment increased. The influx of families from the Coast Guard base meant that the school remained open. The Coast Guard officially adopted Cape May Elementary in 2012. Richard Degener of The Press of Atlantic City wrote "What has always been a symbiotic relationship has grown downright cozy". - In print as "Coast Guard a lifeline for Cape May Elementary A school's best friend"
In 2020, the district gave some land to the city government so the latter could establish a park.
In 2020, the Cape May and West Cape May School District began sharing a single superintendent. In Summer 2021, Zachary Palombo became the shared superintendent of both the Cape May City and West Cape May districts.Fichter, Jack. "Cape, West Cape schools will share superintendent", Cape May Star and Wave, June 23, 2021. Accessed September 17, 2024. "Zack Palombo has been approved as new superintendent for Cape May City Elementary School and West Cape May Elementary School by both boards of education through a shared services agreement."
The district had been classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "CD", the sixth-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.District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 1, 2024.
Circa 2022, the West Cape May district began having its Pre-Kindergarten students attend school in the Cape May school. In 2025, the administrations of the Cape May and West Cape May districts were considering a merger.
Schools Cape May City Elementary School The school historically had a playground designed for older children. Circa 2013 it spent $40,000 to build a playground designed for younger children. Since 25 volunteers from the Coast Guard built the playground, the school administration saved on labor costs and had a larger playground built. The playground is used by community groups. The school also has a pool, a library, and the Dellas little league field, also used by the community.
Former schools Cape May High School
The first Cape May High School, built in 1901, was designed by Seymour Davis and built for $35,000. This facility was shared with the white elementary school. In 1917 a new Cape May High School facility was built, with the 1901 building becoming an elementary school. Cape May High School educated students of all races. The former convention hall was used as a basketball arena, baccalaureate venue, an auditorium, and a graduation hall by Cape May High. Paul S. Ensminger, originally from Palmyra, Pennsylvania, served as principal of CMHS for a 24 year period. - Clipping from Newspapers.com
Cape May High closed effective December 22, 1960, and LCMRHS opened in 1961. Circa 1970 the first Cape May High School building was demolished, and an Acme Markets location was constructed on the site. The second Cape May High School building in 1961 became the city hall, and it also serves as the police station.
Franklin Street School