The Monroe Township Public Schools is a comprehensive public school district serving the educational needs of students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Monroe Township, in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Monroe Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Monroe Township Public Schools. Accessed February 4, 2022. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Kindergarten through twelve in the Monroe Township School District. Composition: The Monroe Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the Township of Monroe." Services are also provided for preschool handicapped students as well as other students with special needs.
As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprising six schools, had an enrollment of 5,736 students and 449.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.8:1.District information for Monroe Township Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.
The district is 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.NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 30, 2014.
History In October 2017, Holly Glen Elementary School was closed for extensive decontamination for a minimum of three weeks, after high levels of mold—including aspergillus / penicillium and cladosporium—were discovered in the building.Hefler, Jan. "Mold closes Gloucester County elementary school, found on toys, doors & desks", The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 6, 2017. Accessed November 15, 2017. "After mold was discovered on doors, windows, desks, and even rubber toys inside an elementary school in Gloucester County, school officials closed the building Friday and reassigned the children to other facilities. Holly Glen Elementary School in Williamstown, which has 537 students in kindergarten through grade four, is expected to be closed at least three weeks to be decontaminated." Days later, the district announced that all of its schools would be closed for a minimum of a week to allow for testing in all of the district's facilities of what was described as a "possible mold infestation."McCarthy, Erin; Hefler, Jan; and Burney, Melanie. "Parents voice concerns over Monroe Twp. closing all its schools", The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 9, 2017. Accessed November 15, 2017. "Sitting cross-legged in aisles and standing shoulder to shoulder against walls, hundreds of Monroe Township parents and students packed into Williamstown High School’s theater for an emergency meeting Monday night prompted by the township school district’s announcement that it was closing all of its schools for at least a week because of possible mold infestation." Whitehall Elementary School was closed slightly after Holly Glen Elementary School. The former was remediated and students resumed classes on January 2, 2018.WILLIAMSTOWN, N.J. (WPVI) -- "Whitehall Elementary School in Gloucester County reopens after mold scare", 6abc Action News, January 2, 2018. Accessed January 7,2018. "Some students in Gloucester County started the New Year by going back to their home school. Whitehall Elementary School in Williamstown reopened Tuesday morning. It had been closed since the fall when mold problems were discovered in the building. Students had been attending classes at other district schools. Holly Glen Elementary will remain closed for the rest of the school year as mold concerns are addressed at that school."
Awards and recognition Radix Elementary School was honored by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program in 2019, one of nine schools in the state recognized as Exemplary High Performing Schools.2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools Exemplary High Performing Schools, National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Accessed September 26, 2019.
Schools Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsSchool Data for the Monroe Township Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2021.) are:2023-24 Gloucester County Office of Education Public School Directory, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Accessed February 1, 2024.School Performance Reports for the Monroe Township Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.New Jersey School Directory for the Monroe Township Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024. Elementary schools Holly Glen Elementary SchoolHolly Glen Elementary School, Monroe Township Public Schools. Accessed February 5, 2022. with 437 students in grades K-4 Karen Pontano-Crossley, principal Oak Knoll Elementary SchoolOak Knoll Elementary School, Monroe Township Public Schools. Accessed February 5, 2022. with 529 students in grades K-4 Kristy Baker, principal Radix Elementary SchoolRadix Elementary School, Monroe Township Public Schools. Accessed February 5, 2022. with 640 students in grades PreK-4 Jill DelConte, principal Whitehall Elementary SchoolWhitehall Elementary School, Monroe Township Public Schools. Accessed February 5, 2022. with 311 students in grades K-4 JoAnne E. Rumpf, principal Middle school Williamstown Middle SchoolWilliamstown Middle School, Monroe Township Public Schools. Accessed July 5, 2026. with 1,867 students in grades 5-8 Karim Fisher, principalWMS Principal, Williamstown Middle School. Accessed July 5, 2026. High school Williamstown High SchoolWilliamstown High School, Monroe Township Public Schools. Accessed July 5, 2026. with 1,837 students in grades 9-12 Christine A. Stanton, principalPrincipal, Williamstown High School. Accessed July 5, 2026.
Administration Core members of the district's administration are:Administration, Monroe Township Public Schools. Accessed December 24, 2022.New Jersey School Directory for Gloucester County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024. Susan Ficke, superintendent Lisa Schulz, business administrator and board secretary
Board of education The district's board of education, composed 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 2013) 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 for the Township of Monroe School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed April 20, 2024. "The School District is a Type II district located in the County of Gloucester, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education (the 'Board'). The Board is comprised of nine members elected to three-year terms. These terms are staggered so that three member's terms expire each year. The Superintendent is appointed by the Board to act as executive officer of the School District. The purpose of the School District is to educate students in grades kindergarten through high school at the School District's six schools." See "Roster of Officials" on page 12.Meet the Board, Monroe Township Public Schools. Accessed February 5, 2022.
References
External links Monroe Township Public Schools
School Data for the Monroe Township Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics