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Harrison Public Schools

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Coordinates: 40°44′56″N 74°09′22″W / 40.748887°N 74.156052°W / 40.748887; -74.156052
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Harrison Public Schools
Address
430 William Street
Harrison
, Hudson County, New Jersey, 07029
United States
Coordinates40°44′56″N 74°09′22″W / 40.748887°N 74.156052°W / 40.748887; -74.156052
District information
GradesPreK-12
SuperintendentMaureen Kroog (acting)
Business administratorDaniel Choffo
Schools4
Affiliation(s)Former Abbott district
Students and staff
Enrollment2,409 (as of 2018–19)[1]
Faculty166.5 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio14.5:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupB
Websitewww.harrisonschools.org
Ind. Per pupil District
spending		 Rank
(*)		 K-12
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$22,06164$18,89116.8%
1Budgetary Cost15,3905414,7834.1%
2Classroom Instruction8,334408,763−4.9%
6Support Services2,621582,3929.6%
8Administrative Cost1,794581,48520.8%
10Operations & Maintenance2,113631,78318.5%
13Extracurricular Activities2104268−21.6%
16Median Teacher Salary72,8866564,043
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of K-12 districts with 1,800-3,500 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=68

The Harrison Public Schools is a comprehensive public school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, located in the municipality of Harrison, in Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Harrison is located 12 miles (19 km) west of New York City, and is sandwiched between Newark (the state's largest city) to the west and Jersey City to the east. 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[3] 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.[4][5] As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising four schools, had an enrollment of 2,409 students and 166.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.5:1.[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.[6]

Students from the neighboring borough of East Newark attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the East Newark School District.[7]

Schools

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Schools in the district (with 2019 - 20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[8]) are:[9][10][11]

  • Harrison Early Childhood Program[12] (grades Pre-K3 and PreK4)
  • Kennedy Elementary School [1] (grades Pre-K - 1)
    • JoAnn Botch, principal
  • Lincoln Elementary School[13] with 562 students in grades 2-3
    • Amy M. Heberling, principal
  • Hamilton Intermediate School[14] with 307 students in grades 4-5
    • Kevin Stahl, principal
Middle school
  • Washington Middle School[15] with 417 students in grades 6-8
    • Michael Landy, principal
High school

New schools and grade realignment

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The construction of a new structure to house Harrison High School began in January, 2005, and was completed in the summer of 2007 in time for the 2007-2008 school year. The new Harrison High School is located at the intersection of Kingsland Avenue and Hamilton Street in the northeastern corner of the town on the former site of Clayton Container. A new stadium was constructed along with the school building. The campus includes a football/soccer field, baseball diamond, softball diamond, running track around the fields, and 3 tennis courts. The building includes thirty general education classrooms, four special education classrooms, two classrooms for small group instruction, two gymnasiums, a dance/aerobics studio, instrumental/vocal music room, cafeteria, auditorium, media center, science labs, computer room, and faculty spaces.

Although Washington Middle School has been relocated to the former site of the high school, the planned remodeling of the old high school has been put on hold indefinitely due to funding issues involving the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation and mismanagement of funds.[18]

In September 2007, Harrison realigned the grades being housed in each of the school buildings in town. The new Harrison High School located on Hamilton Street between Kingsland and Schuyler Avenues opened to students in grades 9–12. As a result, the old Harrison High School building, located on 1 North 5th Street, was renamed as Washington Middle School. The old Washington Middle School, in turn, located on Hamilton Street between North 2nd and North 3rd Streets, has been renamed Hamilton School and now houses the 4th and 5th grades that formerly used the top floors of Holy Cross School. Holy Cross School has since been vacated by the Harrison Public School district.

Choice program

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The Harrison Public School District participates in the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program. For the 2005–06. school year parents can request to transfer a child from the Washington School, designated by the State of New Jersey as a Category I School, to another school which is not a Category I School. Since there is only one elementary school in Harrison, parents can request a transfer to the Hoboken Public Schools under the Choice program. A transfer request will depend upon the capacity of the selected Hoboken school.[19]

Administration

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Core members of the district's administration are:[20]

  • Maureen Kroog, acting superintendent
  • Daniel Choffo, business administrator and board secretary

Board of education

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The district's board of education is comprised of nine members, who set policy and oversee the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type I school district, the board's trustees are appointed by the mayor to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three members up for reappointment each year. Of the more than 600 school districts statewide, Harrison is one of 15 districts with appointed school boards. 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.[21][22][23][24]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d District information for Harrison Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  2. ^ Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. ^ 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'."
  4. ^ What We Do, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022.
  5. ^ SDA Districts, New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Accessed March 1, 2022.
  6. ^ NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 8, 2014.
  7. ^ Duger, Rose. "East Newark Harrison merging dispatch service" Archived October 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, The Jersey Journal, December 30, 2010. Accessed March 25, 2011. "Kearny handles all health-related functions through its Board of Health, while East Newark high school children attend Harrison High School and the borough contracts with Harrison to provide street cleaning, snow removal, ambulance and library services."
  8. ^ School Data for the Harrison Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  9. ^ Schools, Harrison Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  10. ^ School Performance Reports for the Harrison Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
  11. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Harrison Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  12. ^ Harrison Early Childhood Program, Harrison Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  13. ^ Lincoln Elementary School, Harrison Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  14. ^ Hamilton Intermediate School, Harrison Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  15. ^ Washington Middle School, Harrison Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  16. ^ Harrison High School, Harrison Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  17. ^ Harrison High Administration, Harrison High School. Accessed May 9, 2020.
  18. ^ Harrison District Information Archived 2006-03-20 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation. Accessed May 7, 2006
  19. ^ Inter District Public School Choice Program, Harrison Public Schools. Accessed May 23, 2006.
  20. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Hudson County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Harrison Town School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed April 13, 2024. "The Harrison Town School District (the 'District') is a Type I District located in the County of Hudson, State of New Jersey. As a Type I School District, the members are appointed by the Mayor. A Board of School Estimate approves the school district levy after the final budget is determined by the Board of Education (the 'Board'). The members of the Board of School Estimate include the Mayor, two members of the local school board and two members of the governing body.... A reporting entity is comprised of the primary government, component units, and other organizations that are included to insure that the financial statements of the School District are not misleading."
  23. ^ Roll, Erin. "Montclair Parents Debate Appointed Vs. Elected School Board", Montclair Local, April 4, 2019. Accessed May 9, 2020. "Montclair is one of 11 school districts in New Jersey in which the board of education is appointed by the mayor, rather than elected. And a debate is ensuing among some Montclair residents over whether Montclair should stick with an appointed board, or switch to an elected board.... As of 2018, Montclair was one of only 11 Type I school districts in New Jersey. The other 10 are Ventnor, Port Republic, Rockleigh, Pine Valley, East Orange, East Newark, Union City, Harrison, Trenton and Summit."
  24. ^ Board of Education, Harrison Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
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