Pleasantville Public Schools
Encyclopedia
The Pleasantville Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district
that serves students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade from the City of Pleasantville
, in Atlantic County
, New Jersey
, United States. The district is one of 31 Abbott District
s statewide.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the district's seven schools had an enrollment of 3,446 students and 383 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.0.
The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education
as being in District Factor Group "A", the 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.
Students from Absecon
attend the district's high school for grades 9-12 as part of a sending/receiving relationship
.
In March 2007, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education
appointed a monitor to supervise and address a series of issues raised regarding the district's financial practices and "to ensure that state school aid is spent efficiently and effectively".
and Alfred E. Steele
, and Passaic
Mayor Samuel Rivera
. Indictments were filed against four sitting members of the Board of Education charging that they had accepted bribes to steer insurance or roofing business from the district. Charged were Jayson Adams (accused of accepting $15,000 in bribes), James McCormick ($3,500), James Pressley ($32,200) and Rafael Velez ($14,000). Former board member Maurice 'Pete' Callaway, a current Pleasantville councilmember, was accused of accepting $13,000 in bribes as part of the scheme and was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison for his role as bagman in the scheme.
) are:
Preschool
Elementary Schools (PreK-5)
High School (9-12)
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
that serves students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade from the City of Pleasantville
Pleasantville, New Jersey
-Local government:Pleasantville operates under the City form of New Jersey municipal government, led by a Mayor and a seven-member City Council. The City Council consists of two members elected from wards to three-year terms, and five members elected at-large to four-year terms in office, all of...
, in Atlantic County
Atlantic County, New Jersey
-National protected areas:* Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge * Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States. The district is one of 31 Abbott District
Abbott District
Abbott districts are school districts in New Jersey that are provided remedies to ensure that their students receive public education in accordance with New Jersey’s state constitution. They were created in 1985 as a result of the first ruling of Abbott v. Burke, a case filed by the Education Law...
s statewide.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the district's seven schools had an enrollment of 3,446 students and 383 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.0.
The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...
as being in District Factor Group "A", the 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.
Students from Absecon
Absecon, New Jersey
Absecon is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 8,411.What is now the City of Absecon was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 29, 1872, from portions of Egg Harbor...
attend the district's high school for grades 9-12 as part of a sending/receiving relationship
Sending/receiving relationship
A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts have grown as part of a historical relationship...
.
Awards and recognition
For the 2005-06 school year, Washington Avenue Elementary School was one of 22 schools statewide selected as Governor’s School of Excellence Winners, an award given to schools that have demonstrated significant improvement over the previous two academic years.In March 2007, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...
appointed a monitor to supervise and address a series of issues raised regarding the district's financial practices and "to ensure that state school aid is spent efficiently and effectively".
Controversy
On September 6, 2007, The FBI infiltrates the offices of the Pleasantville Public Schools and arrests five members of the Pleasantville school board as part of a federal corruption case that included several state lawmakers and other public officials. Included in the sweep were the arrests of Assemblymen Mims HackettMims Hackett
Mims Hackett is an American Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2002-2007, where he represented 27th Legislative District, which covers the western portion of Essex County....
and Alfred E. Steele
Alfred E. Steele
Alfred E. Steele is an American Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly starting in 1996, where he represented the 35th legislative district...
, and Passaic
Passaic, New Jersey
Passaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 69,781, maintaining its status as the 15th largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 1,920 residents from the 2000 Census population of 67,861...
Mayor Samuel Rivera
Samuel Rivera
Samuel Rivera was the Democratic mayor of the U.S. city of Passaic, New Jersey, from 2001 until 2008. Rivera came to national attention on September 6, 2007, when he was indicted and arrested on charges of accepting bribes in exchange for agreeing to direct municipal contracts to an insurance...
. Indictments were filed against four sitting members of the Board of Education charging that they had accepted bribes to steer insurance or roofing business from the district. Charged were Jayson Adams (accused of accepting $15,000 in bribes), James McCormick ($3,500), James Pressley ($32,200) and Rafael Velez ($14,000). Former board member Maurice 'Pete' Callaway, a current Pleasantville councilmember, was accused of accepting $13,000 in bribes as part of the scheme and was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison for his role as bagman in the scheme.
Schools
Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) are:
Preschool
- Early Childhood Education with 253 students
- Stephen L. Townsend, Principal
Elementary Schools (PreK-5)
- Leeds Avenue School with 503 students
- Lisa Stuart-Smith, Principal
- North Main Street School with 288 students
- Ada Barlatt, Principal
- South Main Street School with 456 students
- Rosemay Clarke, Principal
- Washington Avenue School with 380 students
- Carol Reynolds, Principal
- Briggitte White, Principal
- Pleasantville Middle School with 601 students
High School (9-12)
- Pleasantville High School with 952 students
- Joan Robinson, Interim Principal
- Greyhound Academy
- Kelvin Cherry, Assistant Principal
Administration
Core members of the district's administration are:- Dr. Garnell Bailey, Superintendent
- Dennis Mulvihill, Business Administrator / Board Secretary
External links
- Pleasantville Public Schools
- Data for the Pleasantville Public Schools, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...