Montague Township School District

History

For more than 80 years until 2013, the Montague district sent its high school-aged students to Port Jervis High School, of the Port Jervis City School District of Port Jervis, New York; the Montague district was the only New Jersey school district to send its students outside of New Jersey to complete certain grade levels. Because the Montague Township students graduated from Port Jervis High, they qualified for in-state tuition rates at universities in two states. The district also sent middle school-aged students to Port Jervis Middle School.

In various periods Montague Township considered switching to High Point Regional High School but the 15 mi distance was further than the 12 mi to Port Jervis High. James Nani of the Times Herald-Record stated that Deckertown Turnpike, the route between Montague Township and High Point High, may be "treacherous" during inclement weather. Rob Jennings of NJ Advance Media wrote that eventually the district moved to court High Point High because of "a desire by some residents to bring students home".

In 2013, the Montague district decided to begin sending its students to High Point Regional, By 2017 all grade levels for high school students were to be sent to High Point HS. Families of 20 Port Jervis HS students resident in Montague opposed a New Jersey commissioner order saying they could not continue attending that school and got a settlement on June 20, 2016 that allowed them to complete their high school education there. Eric Obernauer of the New Jersey Herald wrote that the move to High Point "was controversial and followed by the successive turnover of the entire Montague board over the next two years".

The Montague district began seeking to annul the relationship with High Point Regional and resume sending students to Port Jervis. In February 2018 all seven members of the Montague board approved a symbolic resolution to not renew its ties with High Point. Obernauer stated that the Montague-High Point relationship was "frosty" and "icy".

By December 2020 the districts were in a legal dispute. The High Point agreement was scheduled to end in 2024. Obernauer stated that while Montague School District switching to another school district in New Jersey was "conceivable", "it is questionable if a future [New Jersey] education commissioner would ever agree to have Montague return to sending students out of state to Port Jervis" and that "Even without a formal agreement in place, getting out of send-receive relationships in New Jersey is notoriously difficult and typically requires that the separation have no adverse impact on either district."

By 2021 the Montague board, now with new members, sought to dismiss lawsuits against High Point. Obernauer stated "dissatisfaction with how the Montague district is being run and legal fees spent trying to resume the longstanding relationship with Port Jervis, coupled with a growing acceptance of the High Point relationship, appear to have changed public sentiment."

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are: ;Elementary schools

• Montague Elementary School, with 308 students in grades PreK–8

Montague School was previously K–6, but when the send-receive agreement with Port Jervis was phased out, the school became K–8. The district had a planned expansion, approved by 4–2 by the school board and scheduled to be put up for a public vote on September 30, 2014.

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:

• James Andriac, superintendent / principal
• Michael Bussow, business administrator / board secretary

Board of education

The district's board of education, comprised of seven 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 either two or 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.

Of the nearly 600 school districts statewide, Montague Township is one of 12 districts with school elections in April, in which voters also decide on passage of the annual school budget. The school board had moved elections from April to November in 2012 and then voted in 2021 to shift elections back to April.

References

References

1. [https://www.montagueschool.org/ms/Board%20of%20Education/Board%20Policies/MONTAGUE%20TOWNSHIP%20BOARD%20OF%20EDUCATION%20BYLAWS/Montague%20Bylaws%20Adopted%202023.pdf?1735773468#page=7 Montague Township Board of Education District Bylaw 0110 - Identification], Montague Township School District, adopted October 25, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2025. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight in the Montague Township School District. Composition: The Montague Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Montague Township."
2. [https://rc.doe.state.nj.us/1516/37/3300/000.html Montague Township School District 2016 Report Card Narrative], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed May 14, 2017. "Montague Township is located in the Delaware Highlands Region of New Jersey. High Point State Park and Stokes State Forest provide the scenery to this rural Sussex County community. Montague Township School District is a Pre-K through grade 8 school in Sussex County. Montague students attend High Point Regional High School for grades 9 through 12. Sussex County Technical School and parent choice school are also options for students."
3. [https://www.sussex.nj.us/documents/SuperintendentofSchools/Sussex-County-CST-Directory-2024-25.pdf#page=17 ''Public School Directory 2023-2024''], [[Sussex County, New Jersey]]. Accessed December 1, 2024.
4. [https://www.nj.gov/education/sprreports/202324/District-Detail/37/3300.pdf School Performance Reports for the Montague Township School District], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed September 1, 2025.
5. [https://homeroom6.doe.state.nj.us/directory/school/districtid/3300 New Jersey School Directory for the Montague Township School District], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed February 1, 2024.
6. [https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?Search=2&details=1&ID2=3410530&DistrictID=3410530 District information for Montague Township School District], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]. Accessed December 15, 2024.
7. [http://www.nj.gov/education/pr/1415/narrative/37/3300/000.html Montague Township School District 2015 District Narrative], [[New Jersey School Report Card]]. Accessed June 7, 2016. "In September 2014, the district began to transition incoming ninth grade students from the Port Jervis City School District in Port Jervis New York into High Point Regional School District in New Jersey. The transition of high school students into High Point Regional School District will be complete by 2017."
8. [http://www.nj.gov/education/pr/1415/narrative/37/2165/030.html High Point Regional High School 2015 Report Card Narrative], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed June 8, 2016. "High Point Regional High School is a comprehensive high school serving the diversified needs of the three surrounding K through 8 school districts of Lafayette, Frankford, Montague, and Sussex-Wantage."
9. [https://www.hpregional.org/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=65529614 ''2022-23 School Profile''], High Point Regional High School. Accessed January 1, 2025. "Located 63 miles northwest of Manhattan in bucolic Sussex County, NJ, High Point serves students from six municipalities: Branchville, Lafayette, Frankford, Montague, Sussex, and Wantage."
10. [https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3407140&ID=340714005358 School data for High Point Regional High School District], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]. Accessed December 15, 2024.
11. [https://4.files.edl.io/bede/11/18/24/065912-ab76fa02-c70f-4e8f-a3d3-92e20c9c9cbb.pdf 2023-24 School Profile], Sussex County Technical School. Accessed January 1, 2025. 'Sussex County Technical School (SCTS) offers Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs for Sussex County high school students. The academies are public programs of choice for Sussex County residents."
12. [http://www.montagueschool.org/pdf%20boe%20documents/MTSD%20HP%20Final%20decision.pdf Enrollment Options for the 2016-17 School Year and Beyond], Montague Township School District, July 28, 2016. Accessed January 4, 2017.
13. [https://www.nj.gov/education/finance/rda/dfg.shtml District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed December 1, 2024.
14. Obernauer, Eric. (2020-02-13). "High Point, Montague send-receive to go before judge". [[New Jersey Herald]].
15. Jennings, Rob. (2019-04-21). "It's a little N.Y. and a little PA. Meet the only N.J. town squeezed between 2 other states.". [[NJ Advance Media]].
16. (2014-09-04). "High Point to seek state clarification on Montague school deal". [[New Jersey Herald]].
17. Nani, James. (2013-02-28). "Port faces $1.8M tuition loss". [[Times Herald-Record]].
18. Obernauer, Eric. (2020-07-13). "Montague's petition to end deal with High Point HS to be decided by NJ education commissioner". [[New Jersey Herald]].
19. "Re: Enrollment Options for the 2016-17 School Year and Beyond". Law Offices of Daniel M. Perez, Esq..
20. Obernauer, Eric. (2019-06-06). "Montague seeks renewed ties to Port Jervis H.S.". [[New Jersey Herald]].
21. Obernauer, Eric. (2021-01-12). "Montague Board of Education explores withdrawal of lawsuits against High Point". [[New Jersey Herald]].
22. Kennedy, Mike. (2020-12-07). "2 New Jersey districts in legal dispute over sending students to New York high school". [[American School and University]].
23. (2020-12-02). "2 N.J. school districts in court fight over sending students to N.Y.". [[Nj.com]].
24. "Important Information Regarding The Termination Of The Sending-Receiving Agreement". Montague Township School District.
25. Obernauer, Eric. (2018-02-11). "Divorce ahead for Montague, High Point?". [[New Jersey Herald]].
26. [https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3410530 School Data for the Montague Township School], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]. Accessed December 15, 2024.
27. (2014-07-27). "New school bus route to High Point addresses Montague concerns". [[New Jersey Herald]].
28. [https://www.montagueschool.org/ms/District/Administration/ Administration], Montague Township School District. Accessed December 3, 2025.
29. [https://homeroom6.doe.state.nj.us/directory/district/county/sussex New Jersey School Directory for Sussex County], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed February 1, 2024.
30. [https://www.nj.gov/education/finance/fp/dwb/DistrictByTypeList2018.pdf 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.
31. [https://www.nj.gov/education/finance/fp/acfr/search/23/3300.pdf#page=41 ''Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Montague Township School District''], [[New Jersey Department of Education]], for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed April 20, 2024. "The Montague Township School District is a Type II district located in the County of Sussex, 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 13.
32. [https://www.montagueschool.org/ms/Board%20of%20Education/ Board of Education], Montague Township School District. Accessed January 1, 2025.
33. Sportelli, Albina. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/04/14/board-of-education-nj-elections-in-north-jersey-spring-2023/70086209007/ "Your guide to North Jersey spring school board elections"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey). The Record]]'', April 14, 2023. Accessed March 15, 2024. "Of New Jersey's almost 600 school districts, only 12 have elections in April, the rest have opted to hold theirs in November.... Schools that have kept elections in the spring, or switched back after moving them to November, are: Cliffside Park, Fairview, Passaic, Totowa, Fredon, Montague, Irvington, Newark, North Bergen, Weehawken, West New York and New Brunswick."
34. Obernauer, Eric. [https://www.njherald.com/story/news/2021/02/08/montague-school-election-returns-april-budget-now-goes-voters/4419007001/ "Montague voters able to vote on school budget once again, board election returns to April"], ''[[New Jersey Herald]]'', February 8, 2021. Accessed March 15, 2024. "For the first time in 10 years, township voters will again be able to vote on the K-8 school district's annual budget this April. The change comes as a result of the Board of Education's 5-2 vote to move school elections back to April from November.... As it did when the election was moved to November from April in 2012, the board resolution states the change must remain in effect for at least four years before a future board can reverse."