The Hawthorne Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Hawthorne, in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Hawthorne Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Hawthorne Public Schools. Accessed September 26, 2024. "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 Hawthorne School District. Composition: The Hawthorne School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Hawthorne."
As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 2,229 students and 218.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.2:1.District information for Hawthorne Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
History By 1931, the Hawthorne district was incurring the cost of tuition and busing 400 students to Paterson Central High School leading to plans for a high school in Hawthorne could serve students at a cost lower than the tuition being paid to the Paterson Public Schools."Hawthorne's High School Problem.", The Morning Call, October 20, 1931. Accessed August 31, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "The people of Hawthorne will tonight decide whether or not the borough shall undertake the erection of a high school of its own or whether it shall, for the time, continue to send its high school pupils to Central high school, in Paterson. That Hawthorne, with its more than 400 high school pupils has a large enough number to operate a high school of its own, and with proper management can do so at no greater cost than it now pays to Paterson in the way of tuition and for the transportation of the children to and from the borough, is the belief of many of the residents and has been attested to by those familiar with the subject." The high school building opened in September 1933."High School Opens Next Week; Building Is Almost Completed Interior of Edifice About Ready - Furniture Being i Installed Students Register Sept. 8, Start Classes Sept. 11.", The Morning Call, August 1, 1933. Accessed August 31, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "With the opening of the fall school term next week, both pupils and parents are becoming anxious, concerning the date of opening of the schools of the borough, particularly the new high school, which to the casual observer seems far from completion. This, however, is not the case."
The district had been 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.District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 1, 2024.
Awards and recognition Jefferson Elementary School received the National Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence in the 2011-12 school year.Corbett, Nic. "14 N.J. schools earn National Blue Ribbon Award", The Star-Ledger, September 15, 2011. Accessed October 23, 2011.National Blue Ribbon Schools Program Schools Recognized 1982 Through 2016, United States Department of Education. Accessed September 6, 2017.
Schools Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsSchool Data for the Hawthorne Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.) are:2024–25 Public School Directory, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed August 1, 2025.School Performance Reports for the Hawthorne Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July 1, 2025.New Jersey School Directory for the Hawthorne Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
Elementary schools Jefferson Elementary SchoolJefferson Elementary School, Hawthorne Public Schools. Accessed September 26, 2024. with 266 students in grades PreK–5 Stephen Droske, principalAdministration, Jefferson Elementary School. Accessed September 26, 2024. Roosevelt Elementary SchoolRoosevelt Elementary School, Hawthorne Public Schools. Accessed September 26, 2024. with 545 students in grades K–5 Joseph Pisacane, principalAdministration, Roosevelt Elementary School. Accessed September 26, 2024. Washington Elementary SchoolWashington Elementary School, Hawthorne Public Schools. Accessed September 26, 2024. with 257 students in grades K–5 Jackie Passero, principalAdministration, Washington Elementary School. Accessed September 26, 2024. Middle school Lincoln Middle SchoolLincoln Middle School, Hawthorne Public Schools. Accessed September 26, 2024. with 517 students in grades 6–8 Erin Devor, principalAdministration, Lincoln Middle School. Accessed September 26, 2024. High school Hawthorne High SchoolHawthorne High School, Hawthorne Public Schools. Accessed September 26, 2024. with 602 students in grades 9–12 Kevin Pfister, principalAdministration, Hawthorne High School. Accessed September 26, 2024.
Administration Core members of the district's administration are:District Administration, Hawthorne Public Schools. Accessed August 31, 2025.New Jersey School Directory for Passaic County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024. Matthew Mignanelli, superintendentSuperintendent of Schools, Hawthorne Public Schools. Accessed August 31, 2025. Sandy Vicale, business administrator and board secretaryBusiness Administrator, Hawthorne Public Schools. Accessed August 31, 2025.
Board of education The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees 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 2014) 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.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.Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Hawthorne Borough School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2024. Accessed August 31, 2025. "The Borough of Hawthorne School District is a Type II District located in Passaic County, New Jersey. The District is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The District is governed by a nine member board elected to three-year terms and is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. A superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District." See "Roster of Officials" on page 15.Board of Education, Hawthorne Public Schools. Accessed August 31, 2025. "The Hawthorne Board of Education is comprised of nine (9) members. These trustees are elected to a three year term by the citizens of Hawthorne. The Hawthorne School Board develops and implements policies regarding the education of the children of The Hawthorne Public Schools with input from the Superintendent of Schools and the Board Secretary."
References
External links
School Data for the Hawthorne Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics