The Clifton Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Clifton, in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Clifton Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. "Purpose: The Clifton Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Kindergarten through twelve in the Clifton Public Schools. Composition: The Clifton Public Schools is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the City of Clifton."
As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprising 18 schools, had an enrollment of 10,514 students and 870.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1.District information for Clifton Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.
The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "CD", the sixth-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.NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 18, 2015.
History The district established a high school in 1906, with 40 students, with a curriculum that covered "English, Latin, Greek, German, history, mathematics, physics, chemistry, bookkeeping, shorthand, [and] typewriting." By 1914, the school had 150 students. A new building was dedicated in April 1926, by which time the school served an enrollment of 1,100."New Clifton High School Dedicated; Over 1,500 at Exercises Held in Auditorium of Building Last Night.", The Morning Call, April 15, 1926. Accessed March 14, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Clifton high school was established in 1906 - and it was my good fortune to be connected with the schools of the city at that time. We had an enrollment of forty pupils with a very meager course of study embracing the following subjects: English, Latin, Greek, German, history, mathematics, physics, chemistry, bookkeeping, shorthand, typewriting. The growth of the school is insignificant from 1906 to 1924, but from 1914 to the present day it has been phenomenal as is evident from the following tabulation: In 1914 there were enrolled 150 pupils; 1915, 201; 1916, 240; 1917, 280; 1918, 297; 1919, 336; 1920. 379; 1921. 478; 1922, 614; 1923. 729; 1924, 778; 1925, 974, and at the present time, 1,103."
The current high school building on Colfax Avenue was completed at a cost of $6 million (equivalent to $ million in ) and opened in September 1962 with 3,000 students."Clifton High Has Smooth Opening", Herald News, September 10, 1962. Accessed March 14, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The opening of the new $6 million Clifton High School on Colfax Avenue worked out without major problems or confusion this morning, according to Dr. J. Revis Hall, principal.... There are approximately 3,000 pupils enrolled."
An additional overflow site, the Clifton High School Annex, was constructed at a cost of $17 million (equivalent to $ million in ) and opened in September 2009 to accommodate 540 of the school year's 850 incoming freshmen to alleviate overcrowding.
Schools Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsSchool Data for the Clifton Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 15, 2022.) are:2023–24 Public School Directory, Passaic County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2024.School Performance Reports for the Clifton School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.New Jersey School Directory for the Clifton Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024. Preschool Clifton Early Learner AcademyClifton Early Learner Academy, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (377 students; in grades PreK) Marissa Papamarkos, principalAdministration, Clifton Early Learner Academy. Accessed October 6, 2022. Elementary schools School OneSchool One, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (245; K-5) Maria Romeo, principalAdministration, School One. Accessed October 6, 2022. School TwoSchool Two, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (385; K-5) Jennifer Lucas, principalAdministration, School Two. Accessed October 6, 2022. School ThreeSchool Three, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (282; K-5) Linette Park, principalAdministration, School Three. Accessed October 6, 2022. School FourSchool Four, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (141; K-5) Ronnie Estrict, principalAdministration, School Four. Accessed October 6, 2022. School FiveSchool Five, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (373; K-5) Stephen Anderson, principalAdministration, School Five. Accessed October 6, 2022. School EightSchool Eight, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (169; PreK-5) Wendy Munoz, principalAdministration, School Eight. Accessed October 6, 2022. School NineSchool Nine, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (285; K-5) Joelle Rosetti, principalAdministration, School Nine. Accessed October 6, 2022. School ElevenSchool Eleven, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (415; K-5) Dalia Shalaby, principalAdministration, School Eleven. Accessed October 6, 2022. School TwelveSchool Twelve, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (616; PreK-5) Rosmunda Kenning, principalAdministration, School Twelve. Accessed October 6, 2022. School ThirteenSchool Thirteen, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (447; K-5) Rachel Capizzi, principalAdministration, School Thirteen. Accessed October 6, 2022. School FourteenSchool Fourteen, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (356; K-5) Jason Habedank, principalAdministration, School Fourteen. Accessed October 6, 2022. School FifteenSchool Fifteen, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (310; PreK-5) Luginda Batten-Walker, principalAdministration, School Fifteen. Accessed October 6, 2022. School SixteenSchool Sixteen, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (195; K-5) Joanna Juarbe, principalAdministration, School Sixteen. Accessed October 6, 2022. School SeventeenSchool Seventeen, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (476; PreK-5) Laura Zargorski, principalAdministration, School Seventeen. Accessed October 6, 2022. Middle schools Christopher Columbus Middle SchoolChristopher Columbus Middle School, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (1,172; 6-8) Vanessa Gaba, principalAdministration, Christopher Columbus Middle School. Accessed October 6, 2022. Woodrow Wilson Middle SchoolWoodrow Wilson Middle School, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (1,276; 6-8) Andrew Jaeger, principalAdministration, Woodrow Wilson Middle School. Accessed October 6, 2022. High school Clifton High SchoolClifton High School, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022. (2,891; 9-12) Ahmad Hamdeh, principalAdministration, Clifton High School. Accessed October 6, 2022. With more than 3,300 students enrolled as of 2006, Clifton High School was the largest single-facility high school in New Jersey; Elizabeth High School had more students, but they were spread over multiple campuses before the school was split into separate academies.Alex, Patricia. "Clifton High's hallway gridlock", The Record, December 6, 2006, backed up by the Internet Archive as of December 24, 2007. Accessed February 18, 2020 "Clifton High School, circa 1962, is the largest single high school in the state. Only Elizabeth High School has more students, but they are spread out over five campuses."
Administration Core members of the district's administration are:Administration, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022.New Jersey School Directory for Passaic County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024. Danny A. Robertozzi, superintendent of schools Ahmed Shehata, Assistant Superintendent of Business/ Board Secretary
Board of education 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 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.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.Board of Education Commissioners, Clifton Public Schools. Accessed October 6, 2022.Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Clifton Board of Education, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed April 9, 2024. "The Clifton Board of Education (the 'Board' or the 'District') is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an education institution. The Board consists of nine elected officials and is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. A Superintendent of Schools is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District. A School Business Administrator/Board Secretary is also appointed by the Board and oversees the business functions of the District."
References
External links Clifton Public Schools
School Data for the Clifton Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics