Collingswood Public Schools


The Collingswood Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Collingswood, in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of nine schools, had an enrollment of 2,264 students and 200.4 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 11.3:1.
The district participates in the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, which allows non-resident students to attend school in the district at no cost to their parents, with tuition covered by the resident district. Available slots are announced annually by grade.
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.
Students in ninth through twelfth grades from Woodlynne attend Collingswood High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Woodlynne School District. Students in grades 6-12 from Oaklyn attend Collingswood's schools as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Oaklyn Public School District.

Schools

Schools in the district are:
;Preschool
  • Collingswood Preschool with 57 students at Penguin and 43 at Oaklyn in PreK
;Elementary schools
  • James A. Garfield Elementary School with 131 students in grades K-5
  • *Mark Wiltsey, principal
  • Mark Newbie Elementary School with 138 students in grades K-5
  • *Steven Smith, principal
  • Thomas Sharp Elementary School with 189 students in grades PreK-5
  • *Kamilah Hinson, principal
  • William P. Tatem Elementary School with 244 students in grades K-5
  • *Brian Kulak, principal
  • Zane North Elementary School with 149 students in grades K-5
  • *Thomas Santo, principal
;Middle school
;High school

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:
  • Fredrick McDowell, superintendent
  • Beth Ann Coleman, business administrator and board secretary
  • Regan Kaiden, president of the Collingswood Board of Education

Board of education

The district's board of education, comprised of nine elected 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 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. Oaklyn and Woodlynne each have a representative appointed to serve on the Collingswood district board to represent the interests of their respective district.

Programs

On November 15, 1994, the International Educational Systems Language Foundation was scheduled to begin an afterschool language program for students of the Collingswood district in the 2nd through 6th grades. For a $36 monthly fee students could take Spanish or French classes. They were to be held for one hour once per week.

Controversy

The school district gained national and international media attention for calling the police on a 3rd grader, who allegedly made inappropriate remarks about brownies served at an end-of-year school party. The incident has brought attention to a school district policy of involving armed law enforcement officers to deal with all school discipline matters including name calling, resulting in up to five police visits a day according to Superintendent Scott Oswald. According to media reports, students are denied access to their parents and legal counsel during law enforcement interrogations, which take place within the school.