The Montclair Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from the Township of Montclair, in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Montclair Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. "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 twelve in the Montclair School District. Composition: The Montclair School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Montclair." The district consists of seven elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school.About Our District, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed May 9, 2020.
As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of 11 schools, had an enrollment of 6,216 students and 564.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.0:1.District information for Montclair Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
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.District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 1, 2024.
Each school has a magnet theme, which becomes the focus of the school's teaching style. Students have "freedom of choice" as to which school they want to attend.Montclair Magnet System, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. School selection is not dictated based on location of residence within Montclair. When registering in the district, parents rank their school preferences from highest to lowest, with preferences given for siblings of existing students and special needs.Magnet School Report: Excerpt from Report Describing Montclair System , Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 26, 2006. School preferences are accommodated as long as space is available.
History In 1948, schools were racially integrated. One teacher was black. - CITED: p. 86.
Awards and recognition
In both the 1989–90 and 1993-94 school years, Watchung School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve. Hillside School was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School for the 1987-88 school year.Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed December 1, 2024.
The district was awarded the New Jersey Governor's Award for Performance Excellence – Silver in 2005,Aleman, Lillian M. "School district recognized for quality; Montclair receives third honor for performance excellence", The Montclair Times, April 28, 2005. Accessed May 3, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The Montclair School District can add another notch to its belt of success. After it volunteered for a lengthy performance review in February, the district was named a recipient of the Governor's Award for Performance Excellence.... This isn't the first time the district has been awarded an honor by QNJ. Montclair was presented Bronze ratings in 2001, the first time a school district received a QNJ honor, and in 2002. This time around, Montclair's level of achievement rose to a Silver rating." was commended by the United States Department of Education as one of six exemplary magnet school programs in the nation,Innovations in Education: Creating Successful Magnet School Programs - Montclair Public Schools, United States Department of Education, updated August 8, 2006. Accessed May 3, 2021. was recognized by The Wall Street Journal for its public schools, and was certified by the New Jersey Department of Education during the 2004-05 school year.
Montclair Public Schools was cited for its magnet school program, as one of six school districts nationwide selected as the focus of Innovations in Education: Creating Successful Magnet School Programs, describing those schools whose "successful magnet programs offer a range of contexts, experiences, and perspectives".Work With Parents & The Community - Innovations in Education: Creating Successful Magnet School Programs, accessed December 26, 2006.
Nishuane School was named as a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve, in the 1993-94 school year.Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 25, 2009. Watchung School was also named a Star School for 1993-94.Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 25, 2009.
Schools Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics)School information for Montclair Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024. are:School Feeder Pattern, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024.School Performance Reports for the Montclair Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.New Jersey School Directory for the Montclair Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
Elementary schools Bradford Elementary SchoolBradford Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. (375 students in grades K-5) Frances A. Aboushi, principal Charles H. Bullock Elementary SchoolCharles H. Bullock Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. (428, K-5) Nami Kuwabara, principal Edgemont Elementary SchoolEdgemont Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. (255, K-5) Briony Carr-Clemente, principal Hillside Elementary SchoolHillside Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. (581, 3-5) Edwyn Acevedo, principal Nishuane Elementary SchoolNishuane Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. (412, PreK-2) Frank Sedita, principal Northeast Elementary SchoolNortheast Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. (374, K-5) Joseph Putrino, principal Watchung Elementary SchoolWatchung Elementary School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. (385, K-5) Patrick Krenn, principal
Middle schools
Buzz Aldrin Middle SchoolBuzz Aldrin Middle School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. (607, 6-8) Major Jennings, principal Glenfield Middle SchoolGlenfield Middle School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. (521, 6-8) Marco Vargas, interim principalRenaissance Middle School at the Rand Building, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024.
High school Montclair High SchoolMontclair High School, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. (1,961; 9-12) Jeffrey A. Freeman, principal
Former schools Grove Street Elementary School Southwest Elementary School George Inness Middle School Renaissance Middle School at the Rand Building was closed at the end of the 2025-26 school year as part of cost-saving measures.Jennings, Rob. "Beloved N.J. middle school is closing forever so cash-strapped district can save millions", NJ.com, March 23, 2026. Accessed September 24, 2026. "An Essex County school district is permanently closing one of its three middle schools as part of a rescue plan aimed at narrowing a nearly $18 million deficit. The Montclair school board approved a resolution last week to cease operating Renaissance Middle School when the school year ends in June."
Administration Core members of the district's administration are:New Jersey School Directory for Essex County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.Central Office Who's Who, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. Damon Cooper, interim superintendent of schoolsSuperintendent, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024. Christina Hunt, board secretary and school business administratorBusiness Office, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed December 10, 2024.
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 2022) 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.Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Montclair Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed September 24, 2026. "The District is a Type II district located in the County of Essex, State of New Jersey, serving students domiciled in the Township of Montclair. As a Type II district, the District functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is comprised of nine members elected to staggered threeyear terms. The purpose of the District is to educate students in grades PreK-12." See "Roster of Officials" on page 14.About the Board, Montclair Public Schools. Accessed September 24, 2026. "The Montclair Board of Education consists of nine volunteer members elected by the community. See the list of current members and their terms. " As a Type I school district until 2021, the board had seven trustees who had been 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, Montclair was one of 15 districts with appointed school boards.