Pascack Valley Regional High School District

The Pascack Valley Regional High School District is a regional public high school district encompassing students from four communities in the Pascack Valley region of Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Hillsdale, Montvale, River Vale and Woodcliff Lake.[3][4]

Pascack Valley Regional High School District
Address
46 Akers Avenue
Montvale, NJ 07645
United States
Coordinates41.050252°N 74.044919°W / 41.050252; -74.044919
District information
Grades9-12
SuperintendentP. Erik Gundersen
Business administratorPamela Baxley
Schools3
Students and staff
Enrollment2,052 (as of 2018–19)[1]
Faculty166.1 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio12.4:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupI
WebsiteDistrict website
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		9-12
average		%± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$23,47239$18,89124.2%
1Budgetary Cost19,2774315,59223.6%
2Classroom Instruction10,390438,80718.0%
6Support Services3,437452,29449.8%
8Administrative Cost1,976461,59224.1%
10Operations & Maintenance2,333411,95419.4%
13Extracurricular Activities1,1354087330.0%
16Median Teacher Salary85,1464471,726
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of 9-12 districts with any number of students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=47

As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising three schools, had an enrollment of 2,052 students and 166.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1.[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.[5]

History

In 1955, Pascack Valley Regional High School District opened Pascack Valley High School with an enrollment of 650 students from the boroughs of Hillsdale, Montvale, River Vale, and Woodcliff Lake, having bonded $1,250,000 towards the costs of construction.[6] Previously, students from those municipalities attended other local high schools, including Westwood High School. Students from Hillsdale, Montvale and Woodcliff Lake had attended Park Ridge High School.[7] With increasing enrollment as the suburbs boomed, the towns, with state approval, formed a regional high school district.

During the next several years enrollment increased and so did the faculty and building capacity. Additional classrooms were added and the program of studies was expanded. Increased enrollment in 1963 resulted in double sessions. In September 1964, Pascack Hills High School opened up to students living in Montvale, Woodcliff Lake and a portion of Hillsdale, with a flexible scheduling program that allowed students to select courses using a system run by an analyst from International Telephone and Telegraph using a mainframe computer system.[8] Pascack Valley High School had the balance of Hillsdale students and all of River Vale students. In the early 1990s, western portions of Hillsdale (west of Pascack Road) transitioned from sending to Pascack Hills to Pascack Valley.

By 1970, the enrollment was again up to capacity and building construction was necessary to house 1,800 students. This expansion of Pascack Valley High School provided additional classrooms, expanded department areas, and other facilities such as gymnasium, a new cafeteria and library.

In March 2008, the district announced plans to offer online courses, beginning in the 2008–09 school year, with that school year's seniors being given priority.

Awards and recognition
  • In the 2000–01 school year, Pascack Valley Regional High School was recognized with the Best Practices Award by the New Jersey Department of Education for its "Senior Projects/Senior Alternate Assessment Program".[9]
  • Pascack Hills High School was the 7th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology, after having been ranked 18th in the state out of 328 schools in 2012; Pascack Valley High School was ranked 39th in 2014 and 73rd in 2012.[10]
  • The Pascack Pi-oneers, a district-wide high school robotics team,[11] has won several regional awards.[12]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[13]) are:[14][15]

  • Pascack Hills High School[16] opened in Montvale in 1964 and served 842 students in grades 9-12 from Montvale and Woodcliff Lake.
    • Glenn M. deMarrais, Principal[17]
    • Philip Paspalas, Assistant Principal / Athletic Director[17]
    • Timothy Wieland, Assistant Principal[17]
  • Pascack Valley High School[18] in Hillsdale opened in 1955 and served 1,209 students in grades 9-12 from Hillsdale and River Vale.
    • Thomas De Maio, Principal[19]
    • John Puccio, Assistant Principal[20]
    • Debbie Squiccimarri, Assistant Principal[21]
  • Park Academy is a therapeutic middle school program[22] with 12 students in grades 4-8

Administration

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

  • P. Erik Gundersen, Superintendent of Schools[24]
  • Pamela Baxley, Business Administrator / Board Secretary[25]

Board of education

The district's board of education, with 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.[26][27][28] Seats on the board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent districts, with three assigned to Hillsdale and two each assigned to Montvale, River Vale and Woodcliff Lake.[29]

References
  1. District information for Pascack Valley Regional High School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  2. Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. Pascack Valley Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed April 30, 2020. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades nine through twelve in the Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Composition: The Pascack Valley Regional High School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Hillsdale, Montvale, River Vale, and Woodcliff Lake."
  4. Pascack Valley Regional High School District 2016 School Report Card District Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 30, 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."
  5. NJ Department of Education District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 5, 2014.
  6. Staff. "County In Georgia Sells Bond Issue; Richmond Public Building Liens Totaling $2,850,000 Go at 2.718% Interest Cost", The New York Times, August 27, 1954. Accessed October 26, 2013.
  7. Beuscher, Kristin. "This Week In Local History: A New School at Park Ridge", Pascack Press, October 22, 2019. Accessed August 19, 2020. "Opened in September 1922, the school housed students of Park Ridge, Montvale, Woodcliff Lake and Hillsdale until Pascack Valley Regional High School opened in 1955."
  8. Staff. "News Notes: Classroom And Campus", The New York Times, March 1, 1964. Accessed October 26, 2013. "An experiment in flexible school schedules for students through the use of computers will be conducted in the $2.9 million Pascack Hills High School that will open in September in Montvale, N. J."
  9. Best Practices Award Program, accessed July 23, 2006
  10. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  11. Kathryn Burger (August 20, 2009). "Pascack Pi-oneers celebrate five year anniversary". Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  12. "2010 NJ regional Awards". Archived from the original on March 11, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  13. School Data for the Pascack Valley Regional High School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  14. Schools, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed April 30, 2020.
  15. New Jersey School Directory for the Pascack Valley Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  16. Pascack Hills High School, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed April 30, 2020.
  17. Administration, Pascack Hills High School. Accessed April 30, 2020.
  18. Pascack Valley High School, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed April 30, 2020.
  19. Administration, Pascack Valley High School. Accessed November 14, 2017.
  20. John Puccio, Pascack Valley High School. Accessed November 14, 2017.
  21. Debbie Squiccimarri, Pascack Valley High School. Accessed November 14, 2017.
  22. Park Academy, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed April 30, 2020.
  23. New Jersey School Directory for Bergen County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 29, 2016.
  24. [http://www.pascack.org/district/administration/superintendent Superintendent's Office, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed April 30, 2020.
  25. Business Office, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed April 30, 2020.
  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. Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Pascack Valley Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2018. Accessed March 1, 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, is the receiving school for students who reside in the towns of Hillsdale and River Vale.... School districts in New Jersey are legally classified as Type I or Type II. Pascack Valley Regional High School District, a Type II district, is one of 68 regional school districts in the state with a nine member, elected board of education. Board members are elected at the annual school election for terms of three years."
  28. Board of Education Members, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed April 30, 2020.
  29. Board of Education, Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Accessed April 30, 2020. "The Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education is comprised of nine board members elected by constituents in the four municipalities whose students attend Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Currently, three members are elected from the Borough of Hillsdale, two from the Borough of Montvale, two from the Township of River Vale, and two from the Borough of Woodcliff Lake."
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