Hamilton Township Schools

Hamilton Township School District
Address
1876 Dennis Foreman Drive
Hamilton Township
, Atlantic County, New Jersey, 08330
United States
Coordinates39°27′20″N 74°40′44″W / 39.455686°N 74.678881°W / 39.455686; -74.678881
District information
MottoBelieve We Can... Together
GradesPreK-8
SuperintendentJeffery Zito
Business administratorChristopher Veneziani
Schools3
Students and staff
Enrollment2,974 (as of 2021–22)[1]
Faculty254.4 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio11.7:1[1]
Athletic conferenceSouth Jersey Cape Atlantic League
Other information
District Factor GroupCD
Websitewww.hamiltonschools.org
Ind.Per pupilDistrict
spending		Rank
(*)		K-8
average		%± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$16,25723$18,891−13.9%
1Budgetary Cost11,8931314,159−16.0%
2Classroom Instruction7,14688,659−17.5%
6Support Services1,882252,167−13.2%
8Administrative Cost1,288141,547−16.7%
10Operations & Maintenance1,485401,612−7.9%
13Extracurricular Activities8335104−20.2%
16Median Teacher Salary48,780261,136
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of K-8 districts with more than 750 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=84

The Hamilton Township Schools are a comprehensive community public school district, serving students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Hamilton Township, in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[3]

As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 2,974 students and 254.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.7:1.[1]

The district had been 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.[4]

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Oakcrest High School, located in Hamilton Township, which serves students from Hamilton Township.[5] As of the 2021–22 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 952 students and 87.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.8:1.[6] The high school is part of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District, a regional high school district serving students at the district's two other schools, Absegami High School and Cedar Creek High School, from the other constituent districts of Egg Harbor City, Galloway Township and Mullica Township, together with students from the City of Port Republic and Washington Township (in Burlington County), who attend as part of sending/receiving relationships with their respective school districts.[7]

History

In 2009-2010 the district had 3,889 students, its peak enrollment. Enrollment decreased afterward due to a decline in casino jobs. Between 2010-2011 and 2014 its enrollment declined by almost 11%.[8]

William Davies Turnaround (2021 - Present)

In 2020, the district was in a period of chaos as described by teachers and students. Test scores declined significantly due to poor district management and the COVID-19 pandemic; frequent high-intensity fighting was prevalent throughout William Davies Middle School and confirmed harassment cases skyrocketed at the George L. Hess Educational Complex. [9]

The Board of Education hired Dr. Jeff Zito as superintendent who made significant changes to building leadership and began the implementation of programs to support students and staff. Dr. Jennifer Holmstrom restructured Davies school and behaviors dropped sharply. In 2024, high intensity behaviors were down by 55%, according to state data. [10]

Athletics and Activities

Holmstrom emphasized student involvement in athletics and after school clubs and activities to build school culture. The school offers over 30 activities for students ranging from sports, debate, and art. [11]

Ed Aleszczyk is the district Athletic Director. [12]

The Davies Media Program (2023 - present)

Holmstrom and Zito pushed for more opportunities for students and established career-readiness classes (CTE) that aligned with surrounding high school curricula. The best example of this is the schools vast media program which highlights academic and athletic student achievement as well as acts as a public relations department for the district. The department acts as a magnet pathway program to Oakcrest High School and the Atlantic County Institute of Technology. [13]

Established in 2023, the program has won multiple awards and gained national attention. [14]

In the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, the program was the most watched middle school program in the state, per Google Analytics. [15]

In 2026-27, the program expanded to the George L. Hess Educational Complex. [16]

The Dragon Network is described as the media department's flagship program. [13]

In June 2026, the New Jersey Department of Education's standards website listed the program as a "Career and Technical Education Exemplar" at the secondary level.[17]

Awards, recognition and rankings

For the 1998-99 school year, the George L. Hess Educational Complex was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.[14]

George L. Hess Education Complex 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 1994-95 school year[18]

In 2026, William Davies Middle School received a model schools recognition for the school's recent academic gains and tremendous reduction of behavioral incidents since 2021.[19]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[20]) are:[21][22][23][24]

Elementary schools
  • Joseph C. Shaner Memorial School[25] with 628 students in grades K-1
    • Daniel M. Cartwright, principal
  • George Hess Educational Complex[26] with 1,263 in pre-kindergarten and grades 2-5
    • Jennifer Holmstrom, principal
Middle School
  • William Davies Middle School[15] with 998 students in grades 6-8
    • Ian Levine, principal

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[27][28]

  • Jeffery Zito, superintendent
  • Christopher Veneziani, business administrator and board secretary

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.[29][30][31]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 District information for Hamilton Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  2. ↑ Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. ↑ Hamilton Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Hamilton Township Schools, adopted October 17, 2000. Accessed December 31, 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 eight in the Hamilton Township School District. Composition: The Hamilton Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of the Township of Hamilton."
  4. ↑ District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 1, 2024.
  5. ↑ Oakcrest High School 2013 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 19, 2015. "Oakcrest High School is entering its 53rd school year of academic excellence. Oakcrest is a comprehensive high school located in Mays Landing that provides a secondary school education to Hamilton Township."
  6. ↑ School data for Oakcrest High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  7. ↑ Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District 2016 Report Card Narrative Archived September 27, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 6, 2017. "The Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District serves the communities of Galloway Township, Hamilton Township, Egg Harbor City, Mullica Township and participates in receiving relationships with Port Republic and Washington Township. The geographic area of the district is the largest in the state, covering 324 square miles. The student body of each of the district's three comprehensive high schools, Absegami High School, Cedar Creek High School, and Oakcrest High School, reflects the socioeconomic and ethnic diversity of this geographic area."
  8. ↑ Grote, Dan (July 21, 2014). "The big shrink: As casinos shed jobs, school enrollment declines". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  9. ↑ The Dragon Network (June 28, 2026). Before The Transformation | The Story of Us: Part #1. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via YouTube.
  10. ↑ The Dragon Network (June 28, 2026). Before The Transformation | The Story of Us: Part #1. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via YouTube.
  11. ↑ The Dragon Network (June 28, 2026). Before The Transformation | The Story of Us: Part #1. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via YouTube.
  12. ↑ "Hamilton Township School District (Atlantic County) - Home". hamiltonschools.community.diligentoneplatform.com. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  13. 1 2 District, Hamilton Township School. "Hamilton Township School District". www.hamiltonschools.org. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  14. 1 2 Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed December 31, 2024. William Davies Middle School received a model schools recognition for substantial growth in academics and a tremendous decline in behavior referrals.
  15. 1 2 William Davies Middle School, Hamilton Township Schools. Accessed January 25, 2023.
  16. ↑ District, Hamilton Township School. "Hamilton Township School District". www.hamiltonschools.org. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Audio and Visual Broadcast Production Technology". www.nj.gov. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  18. ↑ Star School Award recipient detail, New Jersey Department of Education, Archived December 18, 2006. Accessed November 25, 2009.
  19. ↑ The Dragon Network (May 18, 2026). What Students Really Think About Our School | The Story of Us: Part 2. Retrieved July 17, 2026 – via YouTube.
  20. ↑ School Data for the Hamilton Township Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  21. ↑ Schools, Hamilton Township Schools. Accessed June 25, 2023.
  22. ↑ Public School Directory 2023–2024, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2024.
  23. ↑ School Performance Reports for the Hamilton Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
  24. ↑ New Jersey School Directory for the Hamilton Township Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  25. ↑ Joseph C. Shaner Memorial School, Hamilton Township Schools. Accessed January 25, 2023.
  26. ↑ George Hess Educational Complex, Hamilton Township Schools. Accessed January 25, 2023.
  27. ↑ Administration, Hamilton Township Schools. Accessed December 31, 2024.
  28. ↑ New Jersey School Directory for Atlantic County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  29. ↑ 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.
  30. ↑ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Hamilton Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2024. Accessed December 31, 2024. "The Hamilton Township School District is a Type II district located in the County of Atlantic, State of New Jersey. As a Type II District, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The board is comprised of nine members elected to three-year terms. The purpose of the district is to educate students in grades K-8." See "Roster of Officials" on page 17.
  31. ↑ Board of Education, Hamilton Township Schools. Accessed December 31, 2024.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.