In this article we will explore in depth the topic of Fort Lee School District, its impact on today's society and its relevance in different areas. Throughout history, Fort Lee School District has been a topic of great interest and research, with multiple perspectives and approaches that have contributed to the understanding and development of new ideas. From its influence on the economy, culture and politics, to its impact on people's daily lives, Fort Lee School District has proven to be a multidimensional issue that deserves to be analyzed and discussed. Through exhaustive analysis, this article will seek to provide a clear and comprehensive view on Fort Lee School District, offering readers a deeper and more meaningful understanding of its importance today.
As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, then comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 4,074 students and 331.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.3:1.
The district is 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.
Awards and recognition
During the 2010-11 school year, School #3 was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive, one of only 10 schools statewide to be honored. The school was one of three in Bergen County honored that year.
Fort Lee Elementary School 1 was in the news in 2018, receiving local and out-of-state media coverage after a teacher's assistant pleaded guilty to selling drugs on school grounds.
Core members of the district's administration are:
Robert Kravitz, superintendent of schools
Diane Collazo-Baker, assistant superintendent
Dina Messery interim business administrator and board secretary
Former District Superintendent Raymond Bandlow announced in August 2011 that although he had over two years left on his contract, he would be retiring in New Jersey effective October 31 to accept a position as superintendent of the Beacon City Schools in Beacon, New York. In addition to collecting a New Jersey pension, Bandlow will receive an annual salary below the $210,000 he had been receiving in Fort Lee, but more than the nearly $165,000 he would have received in a new contract in Fort Lee following restrictions on salaries imposed by former Governor of New JerseyChris Christie.
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.
^Fort Lee Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Fort Lee Public Schools. Accessed April 28, 2023. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Kindergarten through twelve in the Fort Lee Public Schools. Composition: The Fort Lee Public Schools are comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Fort Lee."
^Business Office, Fort Lee School District. Accessed April 28, 2023.
^Almenas, Maxim. "Fort Lee Superintendent Raymond Bandlow will leave the district Oct. 31", Fort Lee Suburbanite, August 30, 2011. Accessed August 31, 2011. "Fort Lee School Superintendent Raymond Bandlow has been the district leader for four years, but he was not present at the Aug. 29 school board meeting. Instead, he was officially accepting the superintendent position for the Beacon City school district in Dutchess County, 50 miles north of New York City. Bandlow's resignation will be effective as of Oct. 31."
^Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Fort Lee Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed April 11, 2024. "The Board of Education ('Board') of the Borough of Fort Lee School District ('District') is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The Borough of Fort Lee School District is a Type II district located in the County of Bergen, 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-12. A superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District."