Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • March 2, 2011
Mahwah
District receives school report cards from state
by Frank J. McMahon The New Jersey Department of Education has issued reports cards for the six schools in Mahwah’s K-12 school district for the 2009-10 school year. The report cards contain detailed statistical profiles of all the public schools in the district in the areas of school environment, student information, student performance indicators, staff information, and district financial information. The state’s report also includes a narrative about the district by Superintendent Charles Montesano, who said the district serves a culturally and economically diverse population of approximately 3,400 students in six schools. He stated that the district’s mission is to provide every student with the opportunity to maximize their educational and career potential in safe, high-quality facilities by well trained and dedicated administrators, teachers, and support staff. Montesano emphasized that Mahwah students continue to outperform their peers from across the state on all standardized tests, demonstrating that they are meeting the benchmarks of the New Jersey Core Content Standards. In addition, he stated that the number of Mahwah graduates taking Advanced Placement tests continues to rise and the number of students who go on to formal post graduate study is at an all-time high. “While we are proud of the accomplishments of our schools and our students, as illustrated in the school report cards, we are also aware that the information provided only tells part of the story,” Montesano stated. He pointed out that the school report cards do not consider areas of school performance such as music, art, and drama, and do not address issues such as student and parent satisfaction. “The only way to assess these qualitative factors is to become directly involved in your community’s schools,” he added. He encouraged all Mahwah residents to attend board of education meetings, become active in school related organizations, attend school sponsored events, or arrange for a visit to any of the district’s schools. A complete listing of all the statistics in the report cards for all the schools in the township can be found on the Internet at http://education.state.nj.us/rc. This article contains statistics for Mahwah High School. During 2009-10, enrollment at the high school was 1,007 students, a decrease of 21 students over the previous year. The average class size was 21.2 students, while the state average was 18.2 students. The High School Proficiency Assessment test results indicated that in language arts literacy, where 253 students were tested, 95.6 percent were at or above the proficiency level. In mathematics, where 251 were tested, the percentage was 92.8 percent. The comparable averages in the state were 88 in language arts and 75 in mathematics. Mahwah’s average SAT scores were 573 math, 526 verbal, and 542 essay, combining for a total average SAT score of 1641. The high school’s previous year’s total average SAT score was 1594. Some 23.6 percent of the students in grades 11 and 12 participated in the Advanced Placement tests, while the state average was 19.9 percent. The high school report card indicates that 95.8 percent
of the Mahwah High School Class of 2010 graduated, compared to a state average of 94.7 percent. In addition, 81 percent of the 2010 graduating class went on to a fouryear college or university, 13.4 percent went on to a twoyear college, 1.6 percent went on to other post-secondary schools, 0.4 percent went into the military, and 3.6 percent chose employment. The student/administrator ratio at Mahwah High was 106 students to one administrator, versus a state average of 178.5. The student/faculty ratio was 10.6 students to one faculty member, versus a state average of 10.8 to one. The report card also indicates that 99 percent of the faculty and administration have master’s degrees and one percent have Ph.D./Ed.D. degrees. The median salary for administrators was $134,134, and for the faculty it was $68,995. Statewide, those figures were $117,895 and $61,840, respectively. The district’s administrators have an average of 22 years of experience, while district faculty average 12 years of experience. The statewide figures are 20 and 10, respectively. The district’s total cost per pupil compared to other districts of similar operating or budget type, was $13,670. The state average was $13,833. The total per pupil cost, including tuition expenses, transportation, lease purchase interest, residential costs, judgments against the school district, equipment, facilities/acquisition costs, restricted expenses less nonpublic services and adult schools, and students sent out of district, was $15,738 per pupil. The state average was $15,538. The NJDOE has provided the public with information such as that listed above about every school in New Jersey since 1995 when the state legislature mandated the annual accountability report.
Dixieland Jazz concert date set
Celebrate Mardi Gras with a Dixieland Jazz Concert with Dr. Dubious on Sunday, March 6 at 2 p.m. The program will be held at the Mahwah Public Library Winter Room. Dr. Dubious has been performing jazz in the New Orleans and Chicago styles since 1998. The group has performed at First Night celebrations in Teaneck and Montclair, and for numerous public, corporate, and private events. This concert is free. No tickets are necessary. Seats are on a “first come” basis. In case of inclement weather, call the library at (201) 529-7323 and select menu option 7 for any library closing. The library is located at 100 Ridge Road in Mahwah.
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