An Overview of the Woodbridge Township School District
The Woodbridge Township School District is a Type II district located in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Functioning independently, it is governed by a nine-member Board of Education that sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration.
Governance and Administration
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 2012) as part of the November general election.
District Factor Group
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.
Spending and Resources
A look at the district's spending reveals some interesting trends. For example, total spending was $15,989. However, there was a 15.4% $18,891−15.4% decrease. Budgetary cost had a 12.3% decrease. Classroom instruction saw a decrease of 6.6%. Support services had a decrease of 22.3%. Administrative costs showed a decrease of 2.2%. Operations & Maintenance experienced a significant decrease of 35.9%. Extracurricular activities saw a decrease of 23.1%. The median teacher salary was $69,270.
Schools
The Woodbridge Township School District encompasses a diverse range of educational facilities, catering to students from elementary to high school levels. These schools include:
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- Mawbey Street School #1
- Avenel Street School #4&5
- Port Reading School #9
- Ross Street School #11
- Ford Avenue School #14 (closing)
- Indiana Avenue School #18
- Menlo Park Terrace #19
- Claremont Avenue School #20
- Oak Ridge Heights School #21
- Lynn Crest School #22
- Woodbine Avenue School #23
- Kennedy Park School #24
- Lafayette Estates School #25
- Robert Mascenik School #26
- Pennsylvania Avenue School #27
- Matthew Jago School #28
- Oak Tree Road School #29
- Avenel Middle School
- Colonia Middle School
- Fords Middle School
- Iselin Middle School
- Woodbridge Middle School
- Colonia High School
- Woodbridge High School
School Infrastructure Projects
Voters approved an $87 million bond referendum on March 10, which addresses the last three oldest school buildings in the district. Zega said the highlight of the referendum is the replacement of Avenel Street School No. 4/5 with a building on a different location off Rahway Avenue. The school building is the oldest school in the district at more than 100 years old. In addition, Ford Avenue School No. 14, which is 96 years old, will close. Zega said school No. 14 is the district's 'smallest elementary school and requires so much renovation.' School officials have decided to close the school and move the students to Lafayette Estates School No. 25 on Ford Avenue, which is less than a mile from School No. Oak Tree Road School No. 29 on Wednesday became the first fully-renovated township school district building to open in nearly 50 years.
Recognition
The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement.
Challenges and Controversies
In 2015, it was found out that Ford Avenue School #14 principal Cathie Bedosky was encouraging students to cheat on the NJASK standardized test. She also poorly trained test proctors, and hired unqualified people to administer the test. Lois Rotella, former assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, left her position in early August 2012. After her departure, "the district has been notoriously tight-lipped about matters since various schools have been under investigation by the State Board of Education's Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance.
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