New Jersey Department of Education

Stafford Township School District Choice Profile for 2024-25 School Year

Stafford Township School District 
250 North Main Street 
Manahawkin, NJ 08050
County

District grades: Prek-6
Approved choice grades: K-6
Total number of students enrolled in district: 2,590

Choice parent information center phone number: 609-978-5700, ext. 1270
Name of program contact: William Wilkinson
Phone number & email of program contact: 609-978-5700, ext. 1270; wwilkinson@staffordschools.org  
Website: www.staffordschools.org

Choice Program

Stafford Township is a PK-6th grade district that has a reputation for strong academic programs and our banded grade-level buildings. The district has a Primary Learning Center which is home to all Kindergarten students, the Ocean Acres Elementary School for grades 1 & 2, the McKinley Avenue Elementary School for grades 3 & 4 and the Stafford Intermediate School for grades 5 & 6. Grades K-4 are taught by a grade level teacher for all subjects, supported by a staff of special area teachers for art, music, STEAM, SEL, physical education, and world language who collaborate to provide a comprehensive program aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. In Grades 5 & 6, students are placed in teams in which the students have teacher for Math/Science and ELA/Social Studies and then also supported by a staff of special area teachers for art, music, STEAM, SEL, physical education, and world language who collaborate to provide a comprehensive program aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

We offer a wide variety of enrichment programs to students for interest-based activities and in grades 3-6 offer pull out Gifted and Talented programs. At the Stafford Intermediate School, the enrichment activities include opportunities for specialization in the visual and performing arts, such as school musicals, dance, select choirs, as well as instrumental and string ensembles. We take pride that we have 1:1 devices for all students in K-6, as well as Makerspace Labs in all buildings and an E-Sports lab for grades 5 and 6.

Choice Seats Availability

The purpose of the chart below is to inform parents of choice seat availability before the application deadline in early December. After the deadline, the information will be outdated.

The Department of Education limits the number of choice seats that each district can fill. The “maximum number of new choice students that can be enrolled” tells parents how many new choice students the district can enroll in the next school year. If more than the maximum number of applications is received, a lottery will be held and a waitlist will be developed. Waitlists will be developed for all approved choice grades even if no seats are currently available. NA indicates the district is not accepting choice applications for those grades.

Maximum Number of New Choice Students that can be Enrolled: 4
School Name: Primary Learning Center (K), Ocean Acres (1st/2nd), 
McKinley Avenue Elementary (3rd/4th), Stafford Intermediate (5th/6th)   

Grade

Seat availability per grade

K  Available
1  Available
2  Available
3  Available
4  Available
5  Available
6  Available
7  Not Available (no waitlist will be developed)
8  Not Available (no waitlist will be developed)
9  Not Available (no waitlist will be developed)
10  Not Available (no waitlist will be developed)
11  Not Available (no waitlist will be developed)
12  Not Available (no waitlist will be developed)

 

 

District Choice Policies

Indicate Yes/No/NA 

The district accepts Tier 2 students (see definitions of Tier 1 and Tier 2 ).

 Yes

The district gives enrollment preference to choice applicants who have a sibling currently attending the choice district and who will continue to attend in the following school year, provided there are choice seats available in the choice-approved grades/programs and the students meet any program-specific criteria.

 Yes

The district gives enrollment preference to choice applicants who have completed the terminal grade of the sending district (i.e., students who attend a choice district with grades that terminate before 12th grade and have a natural progression to this choice district), provided there are choice seats available in the choice-approved grades/programs and the students meet any program-specific criteria.

 N/A

The district gives enrollment preference to resident students who move before the application deadline. If resident students move and file choice applications for the following year prior to the deadline, the district will give them enrollment preference (i.e., accept them after the enrollment preference students described in b. and c. above, but ahead of other applicants), provided there are choice seats available in the choice-approved grades/programs and the students meet any program-specific criteria. If the district has already reached its approved choice enrollment maximum, this preference will not apply.

 Yes

The district gives special consideration to resident students who move after the application deadline. Students in this situation may apply as late applicants and be added to the front of the district’s waitlist, provided the students will enroll in a choice-approved grade/program and they meet any program-specific criteria. No additional choice seats above the maximum will be approved by the NJDOE to accommodate these students.

 Yes


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