Bethlehem Township School District

Bethlehem Township School District
Address
940 Iron Bridge Road
Asbury
, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, 08802
United States
Coordinates40°40′59″N 74°59′37″W / 40.683067°N 74.993562°W / 40.683067; -74.993562
District information
GradesPreK-8
SuperintendentEdward Abato
Business administratorKirby Hendershot
Schools2
Students and staff
Enrollment364 (as of 2023–24)[1]
Faculty36.5 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio10.0:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupI
Websitewww.btschools.org
Ind. Per pupil District
spending		 Rank
(*)		 K-8
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$21,49553$18,89113.8%
1Budgetary Cost16,8675414,15919.1%
2Classroom Instruction10,005538,65915.5%
6Support Services2,512452,16715.9%
8Administrative Cost1,823461,54717.8%
10Operations & Maintenance2,319601,61243.9%
13Extracurricular Activities20952104101.0%
16Median Teacher Salary57,3912161,136
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of K-8 districts with 401-750 students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=64

The Bethlehem Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Bethlehem Township, in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[3]

As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 364 students and 36.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.0:1.[1]

The district participates in the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, which allows non-resident students to attend school in the district at no cost to their parents, with tuition covered by the resident district.[4] Available slots are announced annually by grade.[5]

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend North Hunterdon High School in Annandale, which also serves students from Clinton Town, Clinton Township, Franklin Township, Lebanon Borough and Union Township.[6][7] As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,262 students and 115.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1.[8] The school is part of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, which also includes students from Califon, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge, Lebanon Township and Tewksbury Township, who attend Voorhees High School in Lebanon Township.[9][10]

History

The Franklin Township School District and the Union Township School District commissioned a study that considered the possibility of the two communities forming a regional PreK–8 school district, with the possibility of the inclusion of the Bethlehem Township School District as a third member. The analysis by the consultants who performed the feasibility study estimated that savings of $1 million (2023 dollars) could be achieved without negatively impacting the racial distribution in the district's schools.[11]

The district had been classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "I", the second-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.[12]

Schools

Thomas B. Conley Elementary School

Schools in the district (with 2032–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[13]) are:[14][15][16]

Elementary school
  • Thomas B. Conley Elementary School[17] with 228 students in grades PreK–5
    • Bree Brace-Robinson, principal[18]
Middle school
  • Ethel Hoppock Middle School[19] with 134 students in grades 6–8
    • Kris Boganski, principal[18]

Extracurricular activities and sports

  • Band
  • Chorus
  • Orchestra
  • Student council
  • Debate club
  • Drama club
  • Peer leaders
  • Boys and girls cross country
  • Boys and girls basketball
  • Girls volleyball
  • Boys baseball
  • Soccer (co-ed)
  • Girls softball

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are:[18][20]

  • Edward Abato, superintendent of schools
  • Kirby Hendershot, business administrator and board secretary[21]

Board of education

The district's board of education is comprised of seven members who set policy and oversee 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.[22][23][24]

References

  1. ^ a b c d District information for Bethlehem Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
  2. ^ Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. ^ Bethlehem Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Bethlehem Township School District, adopted December 17, 2007. Accessed July 31, 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 eighth in the Bethlehem Township School District. Composition The Bethlehem Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Bethlehem Township."
  4. ^ List of Choice Districts: Choice Program Profiles for 2025-2026 School Year, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed January 1, 2025.
  5. ^ Bethlehem Township School District Choice Profile for 2025-26 School Year, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed January 1, 2025.
  6. ^ Sending Districts, North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District. Accessed July 31, 2025. "The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District accepts students from 12 different municipalities, 11 sending districts. Students living in Bethlehem Township, Clinton Township, Franklin Township, Lebanon Borough and Union Township attend North Hunterdon High School. Students living in Califon, Hampton, High Bridge, Lebanon Township and Tewksbury Township attend Voorhees High School. Students who attended Clinton Public School (Town of Clinton and Glen Gardner) can choose to attend either North Hunterdon High School or Voorhees High School."
  7. ^ Information Regarding Choice of District School, North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District. Accessed July 31, 2025. "Below is the list of municipalities and to which high school its students are designated to attend per Policy 5111.1: North Hunterdon High School: Bethlehem Township, Town of Clinton, Clinton Township, Franklin Township, Glen Gardner*, Lebanon Borough, and Union Township Voorhees High School: Califon, Town of Clinton*, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge, Lebanon Township, and Tewksbury Township. * Since 2014-2015, all students who attend Clinton Public School (Town of Clinton and Glen Gardner students) can select which high school they want to attend. If you want your child to attend the opposite high school to which your child is designated based on the list above, a parent/guardian must submit a request in writing to the Superintendent of Schools..."
  8. ^ School data for North Hunterdon High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
  9. ^ About the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District. Accessed July 31, 2025. "The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District is comprised of North Hunterdon High School located in Annandale, NJ and Voorhees High School located in Glen Gardner, NJ.... North Hunterdon High School educates students from: Bethlehem Township, Clinton Town/Glen Gardner*, Clinton Township, Franklin Township, Lebanon Borough, Union Township"
  10. ^ Voorhees High School 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 3, 2016. "Voorhees High School has consistently ranked among the top high schools in New Jersey and was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2015. With an enrollment of 1,095 students in grades 9-12, the school serves the communities of Califon, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge, Lebanon Township, and Tewksbury Township."
  11. ^ Cea, Steven. A Feasibility Study for the Franklin and Union Township School Districts, Franklin Township School District. Accessed July 31, 2025. "The Franklin and Union Boards of Education resolved to study the options available with respect to the education of their PK-8 student population. In doing so, Franklin and Union sought to analyze the following options for the education of their PK-8 students: 1. Formation of a PK-8 regional school district with the Townships of Franklin, Union and Bethlehem; or 2. Formation of a PK-8 regional school district with the Townships of Franklin and Union.... The experts have concluded that the formation of a new PK-8 regional school district would generate savings under either scenario with the three-district regional generating approximately $1 million in savings annually.... In addition, as it is likely that all students would be educated in the same buildings in which they currently are housed in either scenario, regionalization would not change the racial make-up of these schools."
  12. ^ District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 1, 2024.
  13. ^ School Data for the Bethlehem Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
  14. ^ 2024–2025 Public School Directory, Hunterdon County Department of Education. Accessed July 1, 2025.
  15. ^ School Performance Reports for the Bethlehem Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July1, 2025.
  16. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Bethlehem Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  17. ^ Thomas B. Conley Elementary School, Bethlehem Township School District. Accessed July 31, 2025.
  18. ^ a b c Faculty, Bethlehem Township School District. Accessed July 31, 2025.
  19. ^ Ethel Hoppock Middle School, Bethlehem Township School District. Accessed July 31, 2025.
  20. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Hunterdon County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  21. ^ Coolest teacher ever: Mr. Brotz: 7th and 8th grade social studies Business Office, Bethlehem Township School District. Accessed July 31, 2025.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Bethlehem Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2024. Accessed July 31, 2025. "The District is a Type II district located in the County of Hunterdon, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is comprised of seven 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 11.
  24. ^ Board of Education, Bethlehem Township School District. Accessed July 31, 2025.
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