New Jersey Department of Education

Morris Plains School District Choice Profile for 2024-25 School Year

Morris Plains School District
520 Speedwell Avenue, Suite 116 
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
Morris County

District grades: K-8
Approved choice grades: K-8
Total number of students enrolled in district: 614

Choice parent information center phone number: 973-531-9510
Name of program contact: Karen Koster
Phone number & email of program contact: 973-531-9510; kkoster@mpsdk8.org
Website: www.mpsdk8.org 

Choice Program

Mountain Way School

Mountain Way School is an early childhood learning community serving the needs of Morris Plains’ children in preschool through second grade. Our school philosophy embraces each child entering school and recognizes his or her unique needs, abilities, aptitudes, and interests. A creative, caring, and competent professional staff encourages every child to learn, grow, and flourish within a challenging yet supportive environment. Children develop positive self-esteem coupled with a love for learning, acquisition of knowledge, and problem solving skills.

The academic program in the primary schools is comprehensive and enriched with instruction in the subject areas of Language Arts Literacy, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. Special emphasis is placed on the language arts areas of writing, speaking and listening. Health, Physical Education, Music, Art, STEM/Computers and Creativity Literacy are coordinated by certified area specialists who meet regularly with each class. A Primary Enrichment Program exists for gifted and talented students in Kindergarten through Second Grade. Additionally, remedial programs are available to support all student learners. Also, one classroom across each grade level (K-2), is co-taught by a general education teacher and special education teacher, providing a great opportunity for all students to learn together. Lastly, the school counselor leads monthly guidance lessons that promote diversity, character education, and social and emotional wellness.

Mountain Way students are equipped with a 1:1 computer, and every classroom contains an interactive smartboard to further support learning. Mountain Way School is truly an exciting and challenging learning environment where children learn, grow, and flourish as individuals. This is due, in large measure, to competitive class sizes and a team of dedicated staff and an involved parent community who cooperatively focus on meeting the needs of all members of the learning community.

Borough School The Morris Plains Borough School features a comprehensive curriculum for students in third through eighth grade. Student success is noticeable as a reflection of the varied programs and activities which are offered in academics, athletics and the arts. Our students are provided with a warm, safe, nurturing environment in which to learn. We offer a challenging curriculum that engages the students and prepares them for success beyond eight grade. Our students achieve at the highest levels at both the public and private high schools that they attend. The school district is truly a “School Community” with its membership working collaboratively, focusing on improving instructional practices and programs that will directly impact student success. Students, teachers, administrators, and parents have a vested interest in this success.

The Schedule at Borough School promotes daily teacher common planning time, daily block schedules for Math and LAL, and blocked periods for Science and Social Studies. Students are enrolled in Spanish, and attend Related Arts courses that cycle throughout the school year. They include Music, STEM, Art, and Health. In 8th grade, Related Arts are electives, affording students the opportunity to select courses that interest them. In addition, Borough School is committed to the visual and performing arts, facilitating music and band concerts, play performances, etc. Lastly, an advisory period is scheduled twice each month, where staff facilitate SEL-based lessons with students. Borough School also has Gifted and Talented and Support Services in place to meet the needs of all student learners. In addition, the lunch block schedule includes a flex period, where students can meet with staff for academic support. As a progressive school district, we recognize the value of technology, when implemented effectively as an instructional practice and tool.

All Borough School students are equipped with a Chromebook, and classrooms have access to the latest technology tools, including smartboards, Redcat Sound Amplification Systems, etc. Borough School students have the opportunity to participate in many extra-curricular activities, such as: Art Club, Chess Club, Drama Club, Jazz Band, Jr. Band, Band, Media Crew, Borough School TV (daily morning broadcasts), First in Math, Beyond Differences, etc. Borough School after school sports programs include: boys and girls soccer, cross country, basketball and track & field teams, cheerleading, girls softball, boys baseball, and intramural sport programs. Communication is an important component of our overall school program. Parents utilize a web-based program called Genesis to view student grades, report cards, and student records (absence reports, schedules, etc.) Additionally, teachers are required to maintain a homework webpage.

Choice Seats Availability 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 in a given year is sixteen. If more than the maximum number of applicants is received, a lottery will be held and a waitlist will be developed.

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: 2 
School Name: Mountain Way School K-2/Borough School 3-8

Grade

Seat availability per grade

K  Available
1  Available
2  Available
3  Available
4  Available
5  Available
6  Available
7  Available
8  Available
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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