Sussex-Wantage Regional School District

Sussex-Wantage Regional School District
Address
31 Ryan Road
Wantage
, Sussex County, New Jersey, 07461
United States
Coordinates41°13′46″N 74°36′20″W / 41.22945°N 74.605612°W / 41.22945; -74.605612
District information
GradesPreK-8
SuperintendentMichael Gall
Business administratorChristina Riker
Schools3
Students and staff
Enrollment1,159 (as of 2024–25)[1]
Faculty112.5 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio10.3:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupFG
Websitewww.swregional.org
Ind. Per pupil District
spending		 Rank
(*)		 K-8
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$18,68665$18,891−1.1%
1Budgetary Cost15,9557714,15912.7%
2Classroom Instruction10,177808,65917.5%
6Support Services2,257532,1674.2%
8Administrative Cost1,748671,54713.0%
10Operations & Maintenance1,564461,612−3.0%
13Extracurricular Activities9643104−7.7%
16Median Teacher Salary63,0105661,136
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 Sussex-Wantage Regional School District is a comprehensive regional public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Sussex Borough and Wantage Township, two municipalities in northern Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[3]

As of the 2024–25 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,159 students and 112.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.3:1.[1]

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students from both Sussex and Wantage attend High Point Regional High School, together with students from Branchville, Frankford Township, Lafayette Township and Montague Township.[4][5] As of the 2024–25 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 791 students and 67.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.7:1.[6]

History

With the opening of High Point Regional High School in September 1966, Sussex High School was closed, which had served students from both Sussex and Wantage.[7][8][9] With the closure of the high school, the building was repurposed as Sussex Middle School.[10]

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.[11]

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2024–25 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[12]) are:[13][14][15][16]

  • Clifton E. Lawrence School[17] in Wantage, with 426 students in grades PreK–2
    • Kaleigh Themelakis, principal[18]
  • Wantage Elementary School[19] in Wantage, with 396 students in grades 3–5
    • Christopher Gregory, principal[18]
  • Sussex Middle School[20] in Sussex, with 291 students in grades 6–8
    • Shane Schwarz, principal[18]

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[18][21]

  • Michael Gall, superintendent
  • Christina M. Riker, business administrator and board secretary

Board of education

The district's board of education, composed 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.[22][23] Seats on the board are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with eight seats assigned to Wantage Township and one to Sussex.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b c d District information for Sussex-Wantage Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
  2. ^ Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. ^ Sussex-Wantage Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Sussex-Wantage Regional School District, adopted August 21, 2008. Accessed February 23, 2026. "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 Sussex-Wantage Regional School District. Composition: The Sussex-Wantage Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Sussex Borough and Wantage Township."
  4. ^ 2023-2024 New Jersey School Performance Report for High Point Regional High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 4, 2026. "High Point Regional High School is a comprehensive high school serving the diverse needs of the four surrounding K-8 school districts of Branchville-Frankford, Lafayette, Montague, Sussex-Wantage"
  5. ^ Alexander, Dan. "NJ high school warns of spread of serious disease", WKXW, February 16, 2024. Accessed March 4, 2026. "High Point Regional High School informed parents in a letter that 'a member of our community' has been diagnosed with pertussis, or whooping cough. It's not clear if 'community' refers to the school population or the towns of Wantage, Sussex Borough, Branchville, Frankford, Lafayette and Montague served by the school. Read More: High Point Regional"
  6. ^ School data for High Point Regional High School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
  7. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report For the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2013, High Point Regional High School District. Accessed December 4, 2017. "The District is governed by a nine member Board of Education which was formed in December 1963; members are elected to serve three year terms. The school building opened for students in grades 9-12 in September 1966. High Point Regional High School has completed two building additions in 1975 and 1991."
  8. ^ Wright, Kevin M. Newton Public Schools, Newton, NJ. Accessed December 4, 2017. "At that time, thirteen school districts sent students to Newton High School while two districts sent elementary school children here. Frankford, Lafayette and Branchville students departed Newton High School in 1964 when the High Point Regional district was formed. Kittatinny Regional District subtracted students from Hampton, Stillwater, Fredon, Sandyston and Walpack Townships in September 1975."
  9. ^ Carlson, Joe. "High Point High School celebrates 50 years", New Jersey Herald, October 2, 2006. Accessed March 4, 2026. "The school opened in 1966 with students from Sussex and Wantage, Lafayette, Frankford and Branchville. Prior to High Point's opening, Sussex and Wantage students attended Sussex High School. Frankford, Lafayette and Branchville students attended Newton High School."
  10. ^ Obernauer, Eric. "Sussex classmates celebrate 74-year reunion", New Jersey Herald, August 16, 2012. Accessed March 4, 2026. "Today Sussex High School no longer exists, having been converted to Sussex Middle School after the opening of High Point Regional High School in 1966."
  11. ^ District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 1, 2024.
  12. ^ School Data for the Sussex-Wantage Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 1, 2026.
  13. ^ School Hours, Sussex-Wantage Regional School District. Accessed March 4, 2026.
  14. ^ Public School Directory 2023-2024, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed March 1, 2026.
  15. ^ School Performance Reports for the Sussex-Wantage Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed September 1, 2025.
  16. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Sussex-Wantage Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  17. ^ Clifton E. Lawrence School, Sussex-Wantage Regional School District. Accessed March 4, 2026.
  18. ^ a b c d Administration, Sussex-Wantage Regional School District. Accessed March 4, 2026.
  19. ^ Wantage Elementary School, Sussex-Wantage Regional School District. Accessed March 4, 2026.
  20. ^ Sussex Middle School, Sussex-Wantage Regional School District. Accessed March 4, 2026.
  21. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Sussex County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  22. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Sussex-Wantage Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2025. Accessed March 4, 2026. "The Board is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The Board consists of elected officials and is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. A superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District." See "Roster of Officials" on page 12."
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ^ Board of Education, Sussex-Wantage Regional School District. Accessed March 4, 2026.
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