Washington Township Schools are below the state average when it comes to providing enough computers per student as a district, according to the recently released school report cards. Of the four schools in the district–Long Valley Middle School, Old Farmers Road School, Flocktown-Kossmann Elementary School, and Benedict A. Cucinella School–only LVMS was ahead of the state average with 3.3 students per computer. New Jersey’s average, according to the 2009-10 school year report cards, was 3.6 students per computer. 2009-10 Student to Computer Ratio 2009-10 New Jersey Student to Computer Ratio …

Students in grades three through eight in the Washington Township school district, along with 11th graders at West Morris Central High School scored above state averages in language arts, math, and science, according to results from the ASK and HSPA tests administered early in the 2010-11 school year. The tables below illustrate the differences between the test scores from 2009 to 2010 within the district, and as compared to the state averages. Partially proficient scores are considered failing, while proficient is passing, and advanced proficient is above average. One specific section to …

In recent years, West Morris Central High School students have had the benefit of a faculty a little large for the school population, at least in comparison to state averages. And in Washington Township's K-8 school district, the student-to-faculty ratio dropped over several recent years–meaning, at least on paper, the school district was moving toward a more intimate educational environment. But school officials say given the tough economy and state-imposed constraints on their budgets, that could change. West Morris Central High School Right now the high school can only afford to bring in …

Do you have kids currently or recently enrolled in the Washington Township School or West Morris Regional School District? Are you a student or recent graduate? Well, we'd like to hear from you.  For a window of a few years recently, the school districts were picking up more faculty members, even though the amount of students stayed roughly the same (though with the tough economy, that trend may not continue into the coming years). We'd like to know: What has it been like to be a student over the last few years? Has the educational experience felt more intimate? Did students feel like they …

The West Morris Regional High School District was hit by a massive budget cut for the 2010-11 school year, and there was no way of sustaining the size of faculty or amount of programs students had become accustom to. West Morris Central, the high school serving Washington Township, had to be creative in its scheduling to avoid enlarged class sizes, according to Principal Gil Moscatello. But according to West Morris Central seniors Rachel File and Tom Cabarle, some of the classes have grown, and it's become quite noticeable. "The classes are definitely bigger," said File. "It's hard to get the…

While enrollment at West Morris Central High School continues to grow, the school and its district cannot escape the reality of statewide budget cuts and financial crises. "All of the cuts that were made were discussed over a period of time," said Gil Moscatello, Central's principal. "We didn't want one specific area to shoulder the burden, and we had to make very tough decisions on personnel." Among those tough decisions included five teaching positions (four full time teachers, two part time instructors); the district courier; a custodian; an administrative assistant; five coaching …

It's not easy for a school district to deal with major budget cuts. But things could be worse for the 2,600-student, five-school Washington Township School District, Superintendent Jeff Mohre said. The most immediately tangible consequence of cuts made this year: All co-curricular and extracurricular activities now require participation fees. While the district's budget still accounts for 50 percent of all programs, student participation fees have been set at $85 per student, per sport; and $35 per student, per club. "It's actually been met with a positive response," Mohre said. "Parents …