| East Brunswick Public Schools | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superintendent: | Dr. Jo Ann Magistro | ||||
| Business Administrator: | Bernardo Giuliana | ||||
| Address: | 760 Route 18 East Brunswick, NJ 08816 |
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| Grade Range: | K-12 | ||||
| School facilities: | 11 | ||||
| Enrollment: | 8,825 (as of 2009-10)[1] | ||||
| Faculty (in FTEs): | 674 | ||||
| Student–teacher ratio: | 13.09 | ||||
| District Factor Group: | I | ||||
| Web site: | http://www.ebnet.org | ||||
| Ind. | Per Pupil | District Spending |
Rank (*) |
K-12 Average |
%± vs. Average |
| 1 | Comparative Cost | $13,057 | 59 | $13,632 | -4.2% |
| 2 | Classroom Instruction | 7,846 | 57 | 8,035 | -2.4% |
| 6 | Support Services | 2,136 | 67 | 2,166 | -1.4% |
| 8 | Administrative Cost | 1,379 | 59 | 1,379 | 0.0% |
| 10 | Operations & Maintenance | 1,458 | 41 | 1,674 | -12.9% |
| 13 | Extracurricular Activities | 153 | 15 | 258 | -40.7% |
| 16 | Median Teacher Salary | 61,284 | 66 | 57,597 | |
| Data from NJDoE 2009 Comparative Spending Guide.[2] *Of K-12 districts with 3,501+ students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=105 |
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East Brunswick Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district serving students from kindergarten through twelfth grade in East Brunswick, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the district's 11 schools had an enrollment of 8,825 students and 674 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.09.[1]
The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "I", the second 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.[3]
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East Brunswick is the only district in the State of New Jersey having eight schools designated Blue Ribbon School / National School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education.[4] Schools that have been recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools are Irwin School (1989–90), East Brunswick High School (1990–91), Lawrence Brook School (1991–92), Churchill Junior High School (1994–95), Hammarskjold Middle School (1994–95), Bowne-Munro School (1996–97), Murray A. Chittick Elementary School (1998–99) and Warnsdorfer Elementary School (2000–01).[5]
The district was selected as one of the top "100 Best Communities for Music Education in America 2005" by the American Music Conference.[6]
Students from all schools, particularly EBHS, have garnered state and national honors in academics, athletics, and the arts.
The Superintendent of Schools is the chief executive of East Brunswick Public Schools. As such, the Superintendent is responsible for the appropriate and necessary expenditure of approximately 78% to 80% of Township of East Brunswick property tax collections.
The current Superintendent is Jo Ann Magistro, whose planned appointment was announced by the East Brunswick Board of Education on January 9, and became effective March 1, 2003. Magistro has been continuously employed by the East Brunswick School District since ca. 1972, having served variously as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, District’s Assistant Superintendent for Student Services and Activities, and Building Administrator.
Superintendent of Schools Jon Kopko served from 1989 through 2000. Superintendent of Schools Jamie Savedoff served from July 2000 through March 2003.
The East Brunswick Board of Education has nine elected members. Every year, in April, three of the nine members are elected to serve a three-year term of office. The Board meets approximately twice a month from April through February and weekly in March.
East Brunswick Public Schools' facilities consists of 11 school facilities and one administration building; in addition, the East Brunswick Public Library serves as a repository for public examination of all curricula as well as serving as an important education-related resource for the community. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[7]) are:
As a rule, students in grades 1 through 5 attend the elementary school closest to them.
Jon R. Kopko Administration Building
In 10 years 1994 through 2004, the number of students served by East Brunswick Public Schools grew by 1,850 students, the equivalent of 60 to 75 new classrooms (on the basis of 25 to 30 students each), reflecting the population growth in East Brunswick as a whole. This growth led to overcrowding at elementary schools, necessitated busing to transport students to schools when there was no existing facility near their home and required the use of trailers at the Middle School to accommodate the influx of students. With additional property zoned for residential use, school population was expected to grow in the years ahead.
In the State of New Jersey, schools are funded primarily by property taxes, which increased at a rate of 7% annually from 2000 to 2007. Rapid rises in property taxes tend to cause seniors and empty-nesters to sell their existing homes to families with children, which led to further increases to the school-age population.
In December 2004 following a public campaign in its support, voters approved a $106.1 million referendum for the additions and improvements at Central, Lawrence Brook, and Hammarskjold Middle Schools.[8] Previous bond referenda in 1994 and 1995 had failed to obtain voter approval. For 2004, an additional ca. $54 million believed necessary for renovations at other East Brunswick School facilities (which would have brought the total to $160 million) was deferred.
Of this sum, $24.7 million was to be contributed by the State of New Jersey. The rebuilding of Hammarskjold Middle School was planned to cost $66.5 million, of which $12.3 million was to have come from the State. Central School renovation and expansion were planned to cost ca. $20.7 million, of which $6.4 million was to have come from the State. Lawrence Brook School renovation and expansion were expected to cost ca. $19 million, of which ca. $6 million was to have come from the State.
Several older prewar school facilities in East Brunswick have been decommissioned. They date from the period before the rapid expansion of East Brunswick in the 1960s and provide a glimpse of how the Township appeared before the burgeoning residential build-outs of the 1950s and, on minimum-1/3 acre plots, of the 1960s. Each of the latter phases of development is readily visible upon driving through the Township. The few prewar school structures that remain are readily identifiable as red-brick, two-story buildings and several still stand. Extant structures are The McGinnis School (Dunhams Corner Road and Hardenburg Lane) and The Weber School (Riva Avenue and Hardenburg Lane – now sold). The McGinnis School, last utilized for instructional purposes in 1977-78, was opened in 1926. In April 2007 Mayor William Neary was quoted as stating the Township would accept no less than $260,000 for the facility. In general, the Township has struggled somewhat in its deliberations as to their future, not wishing the sites to become commercialized. Since they require either costly demolition or renovation, and are situated (by and large) on main thoroughfares, it is presumed that their best future use will be neither residential nor commercial. For example, the Weber School has been acquired by a nearby existing religious community institution.
On October 7, 2005, shortly after being informed by Superintendent of Schools Jo Ann Magistro that he would not be permitted to join his football team in prayer as he had done in the past and that some parents had complained about the prayers, East Brunswick High School coach Marcus Borden resigned from his position.[9] Borden, also a tenured Spanish teacher,[10] had by then had a distinguished 23-year career with East Brunswick Public Schools. District spokeswoman Trish LaDuca told the East Brunswick newspaper Home News Tribune that "[a] representative of the school district cannot constitutionally initiate prayer, encourage it or lead it."[9] The East Brunswick football team lost its game in a shutout on the day Borden resigned. Following Borden's resignation, nearly 100 players, parents, and coaches arrived at his house on a rainy day pleading for his return. Borden agreed and received pro bono legal representation the next week.[11] He filed a lawsuit against the district on November 23 that year alleging that it was violating his constitutional rights; lawyer Ronald Riccio represented Borden.[12]
Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh of the United States District Court for New Jersey ruled on July 26, 2006 that Borden could bow his head and bend his knee when the team captains (i.e., students) lead the players in prayer.[13] However, this decision was overturned on April 15, 2008 by a unanimous decision in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, in which Judge D. Michael Fisher concluded that "a reasonable observer would conclude that he is continuing to endorse religion when he bows his head during the pre-meal grace and takes a knee with his team in the locker room while they pray."[14]
As elsewhere, special education is a key component of the education provided by East Brunswick Public Schools to eligible students.
East Brunswick Public Schools provides such services in compliance with the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and related State of New Jersey Statutes. Accordingly each eligible student is educated in a least restrictive environment (LRE) according to an individualized education plan (IEP) drafted by his or her child study team (CST) consisting of school personnel and parents. Eligibility determinations are made every three years. Special services may include speech therapy, occupational therapy, educational aides, and other services as appropriate and called for. A Director of Special Education, currently Sharon Weber-Oleszkiewicz, manages East Brunswick Public Schools' program of providing special services. At the district level, the Director is supported by a Supervisor of Elementary School Special Education, a Supervisor of Secondary School Special Education, and a Supervisor of Autism Spectrum Program.
Special education is supported at the schools by individual professionals including specialists (math, reading, and speech), special education teachers, teacher resource personnel, teacher aides, and child study team personnel (a category which may include psychologists, learning disabled teaching consultants, and social workers). These individuals come into direct contact with those students who require special services.
Students receiving special services may be eligible for participation in an extended school year (ESY) program by which they attend instructional classes during the summer.
Pre-school and kindergarten students eligible for special education services receive instruction from an early age and full-time kindergarten (conventionally, East Brunswick Public Schools offers only half-day kindergarten).
There are multiple resources and support groups available to parents of disabled children. For example, the State of New Jersey operates the Division of Developmental Disabilities. The East Brunswick Special Education PTA (SEPTA) offers a valuable website. Another organization of value for those interested in autism-spectrum disorder is COSAC (Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community), and yet another is ASPEN (Asperger's Syndrome Education Network).
East Brunswick Public Schools has a commitment to special education.
The processes mandated by IDEA, while saving the educational lives of many affected students, also pose many challenges to educators and parents. The IEP process can be lengthy. A child requiring special services needs a substantial investment in time on the part of the parents, the child's greatest advocate. Parents need to consider outside evaluations and consult with others. Parents may refer to the published curricula made available by East Brunswick Public Schools at The East Brunswick Public Library. East Brunswick Public Schools uses "leveled reading" terminology to specify reading skills. Leveling schemes are highly technical. One scheme by which, e.g., "Level J" is an end-of-first-grade reading level, is the Fountas and Pinnell "Benchmark Assessment" System. Achieving a properly defined plan, it is important to conduct a full and proper evaluation. The individualized aspect of the IEP is critical.
Educating a special needs child is a project. Project planning is a discipline in industry and government. It can be challenging to provide the ongoing monitoring of progress and support of course-correction activity that is required to provision a high-quality planned educational program to eligible students.
It is the that IDEA guarantees the services needed by special students. It is wise for parents to familiarize themselves with relevant portions of the IDEA text. Alternatively one may team with an advocate who can, potentially, attend the IEP meetings with parents.
Core members of the district's administration are:[15]
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