East Orange School District

East Orange School District is a comprehensive community public school district serving students in pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade from the city of East Orange, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. 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 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. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of 20 schools, had an enrollment of 9,337 students and 633.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.8:1. History In 2003, Patrick Healy Middle School was identified as one of seven "persistently dangerous" public schools in New Jersey. The designation has since been removed. The district had been 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. Schools Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are: Early childhood education centers Althea Gibson Early Childhood Academy (131 students; in grades PreK and K) Renee N. Richardson, principal Wahlstrom Academy (159; PreK–K) Leslie Shults, principal Elementary schools Benjamin Banneker Academy (487; PreK–8) Monica D. Burton, principal Edward T. Bowser School of Excellence (528; PreK–5) Brian Heaphy, principal Mildred Barry Garvin School (236; PreK and 3–5) Tabina H. Adam, principal Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts (327; PreK–8) Henry Hamilton, principal Langston Hughes Elementary School (568; PreK–5) Howard Walker, principal Garfield Jackson Academy (238; PreK–5) Bridgett Green, principal Touissant Louverture School (262; PreK–5) Ameenah Poole, principal Sheila Y. Oliver Academy (438; PreK–8) Yvy Joseph, principal Gordon Parks Academy (295; PreK–2) Sharon Alsbrook-Davis, principal Cicely L. Tyson Community Elementary School of the Performing and Fine Arts (488; PreK–5) Koree Toles, principal Dionne Warwick Institute (412; PreK–5) Passion Moss-Hasan, principal Middle schools Sojourner Truth Middle School (262; 6) Flore-Nadeige Lovett, principal Patrick F. Healy Middle School (329; 7–8) Kamalia Scantlebury, acting principal John L. Costley Middle School (320; 7–8). The school was named in honor of John L. Costley Sr., a local community activist who was a World War I veteran and member of the 369th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters. Thelma Ramsey-Bryant, principal High schools Cicely Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts (695; 6–12) John English, principal East Orange Campus High School located on the former campus of Upsala College (1,751; 9–12) Taniesha Whitaker, principal East Orange STEM Academy (609; 6–12) Vincent Stallings, principal Other Fresh Start Academy (NA; 6–12) Devon Reed, supervisor Administration Core members of the district's administration are: Christopher C. Irving, superintendent of schools Tia Thomas, school business administrator Board of education The district's board of education is comprised of seven 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 either two or three members up for reappointment each year. Of the more than 600 school districts statewide, East Orange is one of about a dozen districts with an appointed school board. 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. References External links East Orange School District School Performance Reports for the East Orange School District, New Jersey Department of Education School Data for the East Orange School District, National Center for Education Statistics