Pascack Valley Regional High School District

Pascack Valley Regional High School District
Round logo for the Pascack Valley Regional High School District.
Address
28 West Grand Avenue
Montvale
, Bergen County, New Jersey, 07645
United States
Coordinates41°03′00″N 74°02′42″W / 41.050°N 74.045°W / 41.050; -74.045
District information
Grades9-12
SuperintendentSarah Bilotti
Business administratorYas Usami
Schools2
Students and staff
Enrollment1,867 (as of 2021–22)[1]
Faculty172.6 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio10.8:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupI
Websitewww.pascack.org
Ind. Per pupil District
spending		 Rank
(*)		 9-12
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$23,47239$18,89124.2%
1Budgetary Cost19,2774315,59223.6%
2Classroom Instruction10,390438,80718.0%
6Support Services3,437452,29449.8%
8Administrative Cost1,976461,59224.1%
10Operations & Maintenance2,333411,95419.4%
13Extracurricular Activities1,1354087330.0%
16Median Teacher Salary85,1464471,726
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of 9-12 districts with any number of students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=47

The Pascack Valley Regional High School District is a regional public high school district encompassing students from four communities in the Pascack Valley region of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Hillsdale, Montvale, River Vale and Woodcliff Lake.[3][4]

As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprising two schools, had an enrollment of 1,867 students and 172.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.8:1.[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.[5]

History

In 1955, Pascack Valley Regional High School District opened Pascack Valley High School with an enrollment of 650 students from the boroughs of Hillsdale, Montvale, River Vale, and Woodcliff Lake, having bonded $1,250,000 towards the costs of construction.[6] Previously, students from those municipalities attended other local high schools, including Westwood High School. Students from Hillsdale, Montvale and Woodcliff Lake had attended Park Ridge High School.[7] With increasing enrollment as the suburbs boomed, the towns, with state approval, formed a regional high school district.

During the next several years enrollment increased and so did the faculty and building capacity. Additional classrooms were added and the program of studies was expanded. Increased enrollment in 1963 resulted in double sessions. In September 1964, Pascack Hills High School opened up to students living in Montvale, Woodcliff Lake and a portion of Hillsdale, with a flexible scheduling program that allowed students to select courses using a system run by an analyst from International Telephone and Telegraph using a mainframe computer system.[8] Pascack Valley High School had the balance of Hillsdale students and all of River Vale students. In the early 1990s, western portions of Hillsdale (west of Pascack Road) transitioned from sending to Pascack Hills to Pascack Valley.

By 1970, the enrollment was again up to capacity and building construction was necessary to house 1,800 students. This expansion of Pascack Valley High School provided additional classrooms, expanded department areas, and other facilities such as gymnasium, a new cafeteria and library.

In March 2008, the district announced plans to offer online courses, beginning in the 2008–09 school year, with that school year's seniors being given priority.

In July 2020 the district board of education voted to eliminate both the PVHS "Indians" and the "Cowboys" at Pascack Hills High School.[9][10][11] In March 2021, the board of education ratified new team names that had been selected by a vote of students and staff at each school, with Pascack Hills being renamed the Broncos and Pascack Valley adopting the Panthers as its new team name.[12]

Awards and recognition

  • In the 2000–01 school year, Pascack Valley Regional High School was recognized with the Best Practices Award by the New Jersey Department of Education for its "Senior Projects/Senior Alternate Assessment Program".[13]
  • Pascack Hills High School was the 7th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology, after having been ranked 18th in the state out of 328 schools in 2012; Pascack Valley High School was ranked 39th in 2014 and 73rd in 2012.[14]
  • The Pascack Pi-oneers, a district-wide high school robotics team,[15] has won several regional awards.[16]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[17]) are:[18][19][20]

  • Pascack Hills High School[21] opened in Montvale in 1964 and served 999 students in grades 9-12 from Montvale and Woodcliff Lake.
    • Timothy Wieland, principal[22]
  • Pascack Valley High School[23] in Hillsdale opened in 1955 and served 999 students in grades 9-12 from Hillsdale and River Vale.
    • John Puccio Jr., principal [24]
  • Park Academy is a therapeutic middle school program operated as part of the Region II / Pascack Valley Council for Special Education that is focused on preparing students for mainstream education in their home district.[25]

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[26]

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.[30][31] Seats on the board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent districts, with three assigned to Hillsdale and two each assigned to Montvale, River Vale and Woodcliff Lake.[32]

References

  1. ^ a b c d District information for Pascack Valley Regional High 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. ^ Pascack Valley Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed September 13, 2023. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades nine through twelve in the Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Composition: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades nine through twelve in the Pascack Valley Regional High School District."
  4. ^ Pascack Valley Regional High School District 2016 School Report Card District Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed September 13, 2023. "The district is comprised of two high schools. Pascack Hills High School, which is located in Montvale, receives students from the towns of Montvale and Woodcliff Lake. Pascack Valley High School, located in Hillsdale, enrolls students from Hillsdale and River Vale."
  5. ^ NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 5, 2014.
  6. ^ Staff. "County In Georgia Sells Bond Issue; Richmond Public Building Liens Totaling $2,850,000 Go at 2.718% Interest Cost", The New York Times, August 27, 1954. Accessed October 26, 2013.
  7. ^ Beuscher, Kristin. "This Week In Local History: A New School at Park Ridge", Pascack Press, October 22, 2019. Accessed August 19, 2020. "Opened in September 1922, the school housed students of Park Ridge, Montvale, Woodcliff Lake and Hillsdale until Pascack Valley Regional High School opened in 1955."
  8. ^ Staff. "News Notes: Classroom And Campus", The New York Times, March 1, 1964. Accessed October 26, 2013. "An experiment in flexible school schedules for students through the use of computers will be conducted in the $2.9 million Pascack Hills High School that will open in September in Montvale, N. J."
  9. ^ Levine, Cecilia. "Pascack Valley, Hills High Schools Remove Racist Mascots", Pascack Valley Daily Voice, June 23, 2020. Accessed June 23, 2020. "Two Bergen County sports teams are no longer named the Cowboys and Indians. The Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education voted unanimously to remove the nicknames and logos during Monday's virtual meeting.... Charleen Schwartzman, a PHHS math teacher who will assume the role of assistant principal position July 1, said the name 'cowboys' excludes females and people of color."
  10. ^ Miller, Zach. "Pascack Valley and Pascack Hills high schools will remove Indians and Cowboys mascots", The Record, June 23, 2020. Accessed June 23, 2020. "The sports teams at Pascack Valley and Pascack Hills high schools will no longer be named the Indians and Cowboys. During Monday night's virtual meeting, the Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education voted unanimously to remove both nicknames and logos."
  11. ^ Kim, Ellie. "District approves removal of PV and PH mascots", The Smoke Signal, June 23, 2020. Accessed June 23, 2020. "The removal of the Pascack Valley mascot as the Indians and the Pascack Hills mascot as the Cowboys was voted on and unanimously approved by the Board of Education at its virtual meeting tonight held on Zoom. The motion to remove the mascots and 'at a later date replacing them with something else or deciding to not have a mascot moving forward' was proposed by Board member Arnold Scher."
  12. ^ Cooper, Darren. "Board of Education approves new mascot names for Pascack Valley and Pascack Hills", The Record, March 8, 2021. Accessed March 10, 2021. "Get used to saying Pascack Valley Panthers and Pascack Hills Broncos. After a long, contentious and compelling process, the Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education voted 5-4 to approve the new mascots at both schools. Panthers and Broncos were the names that students of each school selected during a vote held last month.... Each school community (students and staff) voted last week on three finalists for its school. In both cases, the voter turnout was close to 75%, with Panthers and Broncos receiving a convincing majority."
  13. ^ Best Practices Award Program, accessed July 23, 2006
  14. ^ Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  15. ^ Kathryn Burger (August 20, 2009). "Pascack Pi-oneers celebrate five year anniversary". Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  16. ^ "2010 NJ regional Awards". Archived from the original on March 11, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  17. ^ School Data for the Pascack Valley Regional High School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  18. ^ Schools, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed September 13, 2023.
  19. ^ School Performance Reports for the Pascack Valley Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
  20. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Pascack Valley Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  21. ^ Pascack Hills High School, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed April 30, 2020.
  22. ^ Administration, Pascack Hills High School. Accessed September 13, 2023.
  23. ^ Pascack Valley High School, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed September 13, 2023.
  24. ^ Administration, Pascack Valley High School. Accessed September 13, 2023.
  25. ^ Park Academy, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed September 13, 2023.
  26. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Bergen County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  27. ^ Superintendent's Office, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed September 13, 2023.
  28. ^ Brown, Shaylah. "Pascack Valley has a new schools superintendent. Here's what she brings to the table", The Record, April 3, 2022. Accessed September 13, 2023. "Pascack Valley Regional High School District has hired Sarah Bilotti, a schools chief in Warren County, to replace Superintendent Erik Gundersen, who resigned a year ago. Bilotti is set to begin on July 1. She is currently the superintendent at North Warren Regional School District, where she has served for almost seven years."
  29. ^ Contact Information: Business Office, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed September 13, 2023.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Pascack Valley Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2022. Accessed September 13, 2023. "The District is comprised of two high schools. Pascack Hills High School, which is located in Montvale, receives students from the towns of Montvale and Woodcliff Lake. Pascack Valley High School, located in Hillsdale, is the receiving school for students who reside in the towns of Hillsdale and River Vale.... School districts in New Jersey are legally classified as Type I or Type II. Pascack Valley Regional High School District, a Type II district, is one of 68 regional school districts in the state with a nine member, elected board of education. Board members are elected at the annual school election for terms of three years."
  32. ^ Board of Education, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed September 13, 2023. "The Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education is comprised of nine board members elected by constituents in the four municipalities whose students attend Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Currently, three members are elected from the Borough of Hillsdale, two from the Borough of Montvale, two from the Township of River Vale, and two from the Borough of Woodcliff Lake."