Vernon Township School District
| Vernon Township School District | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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539 County Route 515
, Sussex County, New Jersey, 07462United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 41°11′46″N 74°32′04″W / 41.196128°N 74.534403°W | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| District information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grades | PreK-12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Superintendent | Eveny de Mendez | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Business administrator | Raymond Slamb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schools | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Students and staff | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Enrollment | 2,941 (as of 2023–24)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Faculty | 236.0 FTEs[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Student–teacher ratio | 12.5:1[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| District Factor Group | FG | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Vernon Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district, that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Vernon Township, in Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[3]
As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 2,941 students and 236.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.5:1.[1]
History
In 1972, voters approved spending $6.5 million (equivalent to $48.9 million in 2024) for a high school to accommodate 1,300 students that would replace the sending/receiving relationship under which students were sent to an overcrowded Franklin High School.[4] Enrollment was 850 when the school opened in September 1975 on a 65-acre (26 ha) site. Seniors could choose to complete their education at Franklin High School or switch over to the new high school.[5][6]
Peggy Stewart, a teacher at Vernon Township High School, was named New Jersey Teacher of the Year for 2004–05.[7]
The district had been classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "FG", the fourth-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.[8]
Schools
Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[9]) are:[10][11][12][13]
- Elementary schools
- Walnut Ridge School[14] with 89 students in PreK
- Suzanne MacDougall, principal
- Cedar Mountain Primary School[15] with 424 students in grades K–1
- Kristin Gudenkauf, principal
- Rolling Hills Primary School[16] with 406 students in grades 2–3
- Pauline Anderson, principal
- Lounsberry Hollow School[17] with 428 students in grades 4–5
- Marc Citro, principal
- Middle school
- Glen Meadow Middle School[18] with 640 students in grades 6–8
- Jacquelyn Van Orden, principal
- High school
- Vernon Township High School[19] with 912 students in grades 9–12
- Lindsay LeDuc Young, principal
Administration
Core members of the district's administration are:[20]
- Eveny de Mendez, superintendent of schools[21]
- Raymond Slamb, business administrator and board secretary[22]
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.[23][24][25]
References
- ^ a b c d District information for Vernon Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
- ^ Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
- ^ Vernon Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Vernon Township School District, adopted April 21, 2005. Accessed December 30, 2024. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-K through twelve in the School District of Vernon Township. Composition: The Vernon Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Vernon Township."
- ^ "Voters in Sussex Approve 2 of 3 School Referendums", Paterson Evening News, November 29, 1972. Accessed November 18, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "High school youngsters from all four municipalities plus Vernon, are now attending Franklin High School under badly overcrowded conditions.... In Vernon, the vote was 3 to 1 in approving a $6.5 million high school to house township students new attending Franklin High School."
- ^ Sullivan, Ann Marie. "Sussex Highlights", The News, September 24, 1975. Accessed November 15, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "The official dedication of the new Vernon Township high school has been set for Nov. 9. the school opened its doors a week later than most schools in the county this September, but open the doors they did."
- ^ Sullivan, Ann Marie. "They're Proud At Vernon High", Paterson News, October 30, 1975. Accessed November 15, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "In spite of the fact that the opening date of the high school was postponed for a week this past September because of construction difficulties, the 830 students In the first year's enrollment felt at home immediately in the new environment.... Seniors were given an option at the end of last year either to continue and graduate with their class at Franklin High School (for which Vernon was a sending district) or become part of the first graduating class at VTHS.... Initially built to house 1,150 students, the school was constructed to provide for future expansion facilities for a 12-classroom addition, with the cafeteria already built with expansion in mind, and no need to be made any larger, Musco said. Construction, on this district's first high school was begun in 1973 on a 65-acre site, itself a small mountain with a sweeping view of the surrounding countryside."
- ^ Sussex County Educator Named 2004-05 New Jersey Teacher of the Year, New Jersey Department of Education press release dated October 6, 2004. Accessed March 4, 2008.
- ^ Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 1, 2024.
- ^ School Data for the Vernon Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2025.
- ^ Contact Us, Vernon Township School District. Accessed December 30, 2024.
- ^ Public School Directory 2024-2025, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed December 1, 2024.
- ^ School Performance Reports for the Vernon Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed September 1, 2025.
- ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Vernon Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
- ^ Walnut Ridge School, Vernon Township School District. Accessed December 30, 2024.
- ^ Cedar Mountain Primary School, Vernon Township School District. Accessed December 30, 2024.
- ^ Rolling Hills Primary School, Vernon Township School District. Accessed December 30, 2024.
- ^ Lounsberry Hollow School, Vernon Township School District. Accessed December 30, 2024.
- ^ Glen Meadow Middle School, Vernon Township School District. Accessed December 30, 2024.
- ^ Vernon Township High School, Vernon Township School District. Accessed December 30, 2024.
- ^ New Jersey School Directory for Sussex County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed November 24, 2018.
- ^ Superintendent’s Office, Vernon Township School District. Accessed November 15, 2025.
- ^ Business Office Staff, Vernon Township School District. Accessed November 15, 2025.
- ^ 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 of the Vernon Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2024. Accessed December 30, 2024. "The Board is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The Board consists of elected officials and is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. A superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District." See "Roster of Officials" on page 13.
- ^ Board Members, Vernon Township School District. Accessed December 30, 2024.