River Vale Public Schools

River Vale Public Schools
This is the logo for River Vale Public Schools.
Address
609 Westwood Avenue
River Vale
, Bergen County, New Jersey, 07675
United States
Coordinates40°59′38″N 74°00′40″W / 40.994°N 74.011°W / 40.994; -74.011
District information
GradesPreK-8
SuperintendentMelissa Signore
Business administratorKelly Ippolito
Schools3
Students and staff
Enrollment1,073 (as of 2020–21)[1]
Faculty94.2 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio11.4:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupI
Websitewww.rivervaleschools.com
Ind. Per pupil District
spending		 Rank
(*)		 PreK-8
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$17,31543$18,891−8.3%
1Budgetary Cost14,5284814,1592.6%
2Classroom Instruction8,321328,659−3.9%
6Support Services2,330552,1677.5%
8Administrative Cost1,957791,54726.5%
10Operations & Maintenance1,804651,61211.9%
13Extracurricular Activities1166110411.5%
16Median Teacher Salary73,6707961,136
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of PreK-8 districts with more than 750 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=84

The River Vale Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in River Vale, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[3]

As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprising three schools, had an enrollment of 1,073 students and 94.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.4:1.[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.[4]

River Vale's public high school students attend Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale, together with students from Hillsdale, as part of the Pascack Valley Regional High School District.[5][6] As of the 2020–21 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,087 students and 93.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.7:1.[7]

Awards and recognition

For the 2005–06 school year, the district was recognized with the "Best Practices Award" by the New Jersey Department of Education for its "Aloha Hawaii" Social Studies program at Roberge Elementary School.[8]

Also during the 2005–06 school year, all three of the district's schools - Holdrum Middle School, Roberge Elementary School, and Woodside Elementary School - won the "National PTA Parent Involvement Award," a designation which lasts for three years. At the time, only three other schools in the state of New Jersey had been so named.[9] Two Holdrum Middle School students, both Grade 7, were recognized in December 2008 for their participation in the Bergen County Middle School Chorus. Five Holdrum Middle School students, in grades 7 and 8, were recognized in December 2011 for their participation in the Bergen County Middle School Chorus, and one student, in Grade 7, was recognized for participation in the Bergen County Middle School Band.

During the 2011–12 school year, one of the district's middle school robotics teams was the overall champion at the Northern New Jersey Regional Qualifying Tournament, as well as at the New Jersey State Finals Championship Tournament. They qualified for the 2011 World Championship Festival.[10]

During the 2012–13 school year, the robotics team repeated as regional and state champions.[11] They are the only public school team to win the state championship twice.[citation needed]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[12]) are:;[13][14][15] Elementary schools

  • Roberge Elementary School[16] with 302 students in pre-kindergarten to fifth grade
    • Stephen A. Wren, principal[17]
  • Woodside Elementary School[18] with 342 students in kindergarten to fifth grade
    • Justin Jasper, principal[19]
Middle school
  • Holdrum Middle School[20] with 413 students in grades sixth to eighth
    • James P. Cody, principal[21]

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[22][23]

  • Melissa Signore, superintendent of schools[24]
  • Kelly Ippolito, business administrator and board secretary[25]

RVEF's A.C.E. Before and After School Program

The River Vale Educational Fund's Activity, Caring and Enrichment (A.C.E.) Before & After School Program is designed to supervise and care for the students of both of the elementary schools in the district, including those at Roberge and Woodside, as well as elementary schools in the surrounding communities of Hillsdale, Emerson and Norwood.

Board of education

The district's board of education, comprised of seven 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 either two or 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.[26][27][28]

References

  1. ^ a b c d District information for River Vale Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  2. ^ Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. ^ River Vale Board of Education District Bylaw 0110 - Identification, River Vale Public Schools. Accessed May 5, 2020. "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 eight in the River Vale School District. Composition: The River Vale School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of River Vale."
  4. ^ NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 8, 2009.
  5. ^ Pascack Valley Regional High School District 2015 School Report Card District Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed May 5, 2020. "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."
  6. ^ About the River Vale School District, River Vale Public Schools. Accessed May 5, 2020. "River Vale's students are educated in the district's one K-5 elementary school and the other PreK-5 elementary school, Woodside and Roberge, and Holdrum Middle School, which is home to grades 6 through 8. Upon graduation, the vast majority of students enroll at Pascack Valley High School, a comprehensive high school offering an outstanding array of programs and courses."
  7. ^ School data for Pascack Valley High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  8. ^ Best Practices Award recipient for 2005-06, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed October 23, 2006.
  9. ^ Gonzalez, Steven. "Parents and teachers unify town and school; PTAs honored", Community Life, April 20, 2005. Accessed February 23, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The people of River Vale can take pride in knowing that the Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) at all three schools in the K-8 district were recently awarded with Certifications of Excellence from the National PTA.... All schools in the nation are encouraged to submit an application to National PTA, yet, to date, only 533 schools in the entire country have achieved this designation.... New Jersey took six, three of which are in River Vale - Woodside, Roberge and Holdrum schools. 'We were the only school district that we could find that won at each and every single school in its district,' said Verducci."
  10. ^ "CyberHawks qualify for World Championships", Pascack Valley Community Life, January 26, 2012. Accessed February 23, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The CyberHawks, a Holdrum Middle School FIRST Lego League (FLL) robotic team recently competed in the New Jersey Championships in Flanders. They qualified for the state tournament after winning the Over-all Champions Award at the Bergen Qualifying Tournament in November. At the state tournament, the team won the Champions Award.... As a result of their showing at the state tournament, the team qualified to be invited to the World Championship FLL Festival in St. Louis, Mo., in April FLL teams from around the world meet for two days of friendly of competition."
  11. ^ "State champions", Pascack Valley Community Life, April 17, 2014. Accessed February 23, 2022. "River Vale's Holdrum Middle School Robotics Team recently won the New Jersey State Championship and are eligible to participate in the World Championship Competition in St. Louis, Mo., on April 22."
  12. ^ School Data for the River Vale Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
  13. ^ Contact Information, River Vale Public Schools. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  14. ^ School Performance Reports for the River Vale Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
  15. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the River Vale Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  16. ^ Roberge Elementary School, River Vale Public Schools. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  17. ^ Contact Information, Roberge Elementary School. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  18. ^ Woodside Elementary School, River Vale Public Schools. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  19. ^ Contact Information, Woodside Elementary School. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  20. ^ Holdrum Middle School, River Vale Public Schools. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  21. ^ Contact Information, Holdrum Middle School. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  22. ^ Meet Our Board, River Vale Public Schools. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  23. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Bergen County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  24. ^ Superintendent's Office, River Vale Public Schools. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  25. ^ Business Office, River Vale Public Schools. Accessed February 23, 2022.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the River Vale Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2021. Accessed June 17, 2022. "Each member of the seven-member school board is elected to a three-year term and represents a cross-section of the community."
  28. ^ Board of Education Home Page, River Vale Public Schools. Accessed February 23, 2022. "The River Vale Board of Education consists of seven members. School board members uphold all laws, rules and regulations of the State Board of Education, the New Jersey Department of Education, and New Jersey laws pertaining to schools."