NEW JERSEY OPEN HOUSES

The School District of South Orange & Maplewood serves more than 6,800 students in nine schools, including six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.  The community and its schools are racially and economically diverse with more than 90 percent of Columbia High School graduates planning to attend college each year.  The school offers 21 AP courses. Its average SAT scores for 2012-13 were 522 in reading, 540 in math and 521 in writing, compared with state averages of 495, 521 and 496.

The district’s vision is to be the top-performing diverse suburban school district in the nation. Its mission is to provide an excellent education for each and every student by providing them with rigorous academic opportunities to reach their personal college and career aspirations, including providing supports for struggling students to succeed. The district will provide an equitable education that breaks the links between demographics and academic achievement. The district will educate its students to be responsible and productive members of society at large: caring, collaborative and ethical people; critical thinkers and problem solvers; effective writers and speakers; and lifelong learners.