Colonel William A. Phillips

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Pemberton Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district headquartered in Pemberton Township, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.[3][4] The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke[5] which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority.[6][7] The school district serves Pemberton Township (including the communities of Browns Mills, Country Lake Estates, Pemberton Heights and Presidential Lakes Estates and the Pemberton Township portion of Fort Dix) along with Pemberton Borough.[8][4]

As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprising nine schools, had an enrollment of 4,443 students.[1]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "B", the second lowest 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.[9]

History

Previously the district had two high schools, and in 1989 had plans to expand space at High School No. 2.[10]

In 1991 the district began reducing access to interviewing students who were living on-post at Fort Dix and students of other Fort Dix families, stating that military parents wanted such access reduced.[11]

In 1996, legislation signed into law would allow the Woodland Township School District to sever its sending/receiving relationship with the Pemberton Township School District and join the Lenape Regional High School District. Woodland Township had been sending about 30 students a year—and nearly $300,000 in tuition payments—to join the 1,350 students at Pemberton Township High School as part of a relationship that dated back to the 1920s. For years, the Pemberton district had refused Woodland Township's repeated requests to terminate the relationship.[12] In May 1997, the Lenape district agreed to start accepting students from Woodland Township at Lenape High School starting with the 1997-98 school year and to add Woodland Township as the regional district's eight constituent municipality.[13]

In 1997 the district had almost 7,000 students, with about 700 living on Fort Dix. That year there were plans to shift the Fort Dix students to North Hanover schools. Pemberton school officials were against that move.[14]

Operations

As of 1987 the U.S. military directly pays the school district for education of students, since the district cannot collect property-based school taxes from families on military bases.[15]

Attendance area

It is the singular school district for most of the township, except portions on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, which is listed by the United States Census Bureau as having its own school district.[16] Students on portions of the joint base attend area school district public schools, as the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) does not operate any schools on that base. Students on-post in the McGuire and Dix areas (McGuire Air Force Base and Fort Dix) may attend one of the following in their grade levels, with all siblings in a family taking the same choice: Pemberton Township District, North Hanover Township School District, and Northern Burlington County Regional School District.[17]

Awards and recognition

Pemberton High School was awarded AP District Honor Roll for simultaneously achieving increases in access to Advanced Placement courses for a broader number of students and also maintaining or improved rate at which the school's AP students earned scores of 3 or higher on an AP Exam.[18]

In the 2016–2017 school year, Helen Fort Newcomb Middle School, Howard Emmons School and Alexander Denbo School were recognized as State Schools of Character by the New Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional, and Character Development.[19]

In the 2017–2018 school year, Samuel Busansky, Fort Dix, Harker-Wylie and Joseph Stackhouse elementary schools, along with Pemberton Early Childhood Education Center were recognized as State Schools of Character by the NEW Jersey Alliance for Social, Emotional, and Character Development.

Student body

In 1988 23% of the students in the Pemberton district were from military families.[20]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[21]) are:[22][23][24][25]

Preschool
  • Pemberton Early Childhood Education Center[26] (with 416 students; PreK)
    • Deborah Ceplo, principal
Elementary schools
  • Samuel T. Busansky Elementary School[27] (281; 3–5)
    • Maureen DiBella, assistant director; Norman Adams, principal
  • Denbo-Crichton Elementary School[28] (850; K–5)
    • Brett Thorp, principal
  • Howard L. Emmons Elementary School[29] (293; K-2)
    • John Schmidt, principal
  • Fort Dix Elementary School[30] (317; PreK-5)
    • Darvis Holley, principal
  • Joseph S. Stackhouse Elementary School[31] (223; K-2)
    • Robin Blue, principal
Middle schools
  • Marcus Newcomb Middle School[32] (307; 6)
    • Ashley Walulak, principal
  • Helen A. Fort Middle School[33] (661; 7–8)
    • Tami Strege, principal
High school

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[35][36]

  • Jeff Havers, superintendent,
  • Pasquale Yacovelli, school business administrator and board secretary

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 2012) 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.[37][38][39]

References

  1. ^ a b c d District information for Pemberton Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  2. ^ Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. ^ Pemberton Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed January , 2023. "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 Pemberton Township School District. Composition: The Pemberton Township School District is composed of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Pemberton Township and Pemberton Borough."
  4. ^ a b District Overview, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed May 13, 2020. "Pemberton Township Schools serves approximately 5,000 students from Pemberton Township, Pemberton Borough and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. With a dedicated early childhood education center serving 3 and 4 year-old pre-kindergarten students, seven elementary schools (grades kindergarten through 5th), two middle schools (one for grade 6, another for grades 7 and 8), and high school (grades 9-12), Pemberton Township Schools provide a quality, comprehensive education for all students."
  5. ^ What We Do: History, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022. "In 1998, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in the Abbott v. Burke case that the State must provide 100 percent funding for all school renovation and construction projects in special-needs school districts. According to the Court, aging, unsafe and overcrowded buildings prevented children from receiving the "thorough and efficient" education required under the New Jersey Constitution.... Full funding for approved projects was authorized for the 31 special-needs districts, known as 'Abbott Districts'."
  6. ^ What We Do, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022.
  7. ^ SDA Districts, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022.
  8. ^ Pemberton Township Schools 2016 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 8, 2017. "Our student population of over 5000 students come from Pemberton Township, Pemberton Borough and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst."
  9. ^ NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 18, 2015.
  10. ^ Sidener, Jonathan (January 4, 1989). "Fort Dix cuts could bring losses for school district". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. p. 6-BR. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Moore, Lee (January 24, 1991). "Interviews limited for children of Fort Dix parents". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. p. 5A. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Wilson, David E. "Woodland youths may get to skip Pemberton High; Well, the way is clearer for them to go to Lenape Regional. Parents have yearned for that for years.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 8, 1996. Pages BR1-2. Clipping from first page and second page. Accessed March 13, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Convinced that the Lenape Regional High School District can offer a better education for graduates of their elementary school, many parents want to end an almost 70-year relationship with Pemberton Township High School.... All that the Woodland educators needed to get started on the switch to Lenape was Pemberton's permission. But Pemberton officials, mindful of the negative publicity such a move would create and the $7,800 annual tuition payment for each graduate of Chatsworth Elementary School said 'no' every time.... Losing Woodland's students would be a financial loss for the Pemberton Township School District, which as a special-needs district already qualifies for additional state dollars. With the transfer of the Woodland students, the high school would lose about $300,000. About 1,350 students attend Pemberton Township High School."
  13. ^ Harbach, Louise. "Lenape district board lets Woodland in", The Philadelphia Inquirer, pages B1 and B2. May 12, 1997. Accessed March 13, 2022, via Newspapers.com. Clipping of first page and Clipping of second page. "After years spent trying to sever its sending-receiving relationship with Pemberton Township, the Woodland Board of Education has finally gotten its wish: Come September, high school students from the sprawling 94-square-mile township deep in the Pinelands will attend school in the Lenape Regional High School District. Next year, about 15 Woodland students from the sparsely populated municipality will go to Lenape Regional High School, one of three high schools in the Lenape district, following a decision Tuesday by the Lenape school board. As a result of the Lenape board's decision, Woodland will be admitted as the eighth member of the regional district. Since 1958, Lenape has consisted of students from Evesham, Medford, Medford Lakes, Mount Laurel, Shamong, Southampton and Tabernacle."
  14. ^ "Pemberton could lose 700 students". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. August 15, 1997. p. 2B. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ O'Kane, Connie (February 25, 1987). "When the military is your neighbor". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. pp. 2BR–3BR. - Clipping of first (Text detail A, text detail B, and Text detail C) and of second page from Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Burlington County, NJ" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2022. - Text list
  17. ^ "Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Education". Military One Source. Retrieved August 7, 2022. - This is a .mil site.
  18. ^ Kultys, Kelly. "Four Burlington County school districts named to AP Honor Roll", Burlington County Times, January 24, 2017. Accessed October 8, 2017. "Both Delran and Pemberton made the honor roll for the first time. Pemberton was highlighted on the list as one of the districts able to achieve this accomplishment while having 30 percent or more of its students come from minority and/or low-income backgrounds."
  19. ^ "Twenty Three Schools and Two Districts Are Named 2017 New Jersey Schools / Districts of Character", New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 8, 2017.
  20. ^ Johnston, David; Frush, Charlie (December 30, 1988). "Assessing the blow at N.J.'s biggest base". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. pp. 1-A, 11-A. - Clipping of first and of second page at Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ School Data for the Pemberton Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  22. ^ School Directory, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed January 1, 2023.
  23. ^ Public Schools Directory 2023–2024, Burlington County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2024.
  24. ^ School Performance Reports for the Pemberton Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
  25. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Burlington County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  26. ^ Pemberton Early Childhood Education Center, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed May 13, 2020.
  27. ^ Samuel T. Busansky Elementary School, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed May 13, 2020.
  28. ^ Denbo-Crichton Elementary School, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed December 28th, 2022.
  29. ^ Howard L. Emmons Elementary School, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed May 13, 2020.
  30. ^ Fort Dix Elementary School, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed May 13, 2020.
  31. ^ Joseph S. Stackhouse Elementary School, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed December 28th, 2022.
  32. ^ Marcus Newcomb Middle School, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed May 13, 2020.
  33. ^ Helen A. Fort Middle School, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed May 13, 2020.
  34. ^ Pemberton Township High School, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed May 13, 2020.
  35. ^ District Contact Information, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed March 11, 2024.
  36. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Pemberton Township Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 28, 2022.
  37. ^ 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.
  38. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Pemberton Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed March 11, 2024. "The Pemberton Township School District is a Type II School District located in the County of Burlington, State of New Jersey. As a Type II School District, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is comprised of nine members elected to three-year terms. These terms are staggered so that three members’ terms expire each year. The operations of the District include ten elementary schools, one junior high school, and one senior high school, located in Pemberton Township."
  39. ^ Board Members, Pemberton Township School District. Accessed March 11, 2024.

Further reading

External links

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pemberton_Township_School_District