Paramus Public Schools

The Paramus Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade from Paramus, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. For the 2005-06 school year, the district opened school with 4,500 youngsters,

chools

Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are [ [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3412420 Paramus Public Schools] , National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 17, 2008.] :;Elementary Schools (K-4)
* [http://www.paramus.k12.nj.us/memorial.html Memorial Elementary School] (294 students)
* [http://www.paramus.k12.nj.us/midland.html Midland Elementary School] (282 students)
* [http://www.paramus.k12.nj.us/parkway.html Parkway Elementary School] (378 students)
* [http://www.paramus.k12.nj.us/ridgeranch.html Ridge Ranch Elementary School] (373 students)
* [http://www.paramus.k12.nj.us/stonylane.html Stony Lane Elementary School] (246 students);Middle Schools (5-8)
* [http://www.paramus.k12.nj.us/eastbrook.html Eastbrook Middle School] (637 students)
* [http://www.paramus.k12.nj.us/westbrook.html Westbrook Middle School] (699 students)On May 30, 2007, Westbrook Middle School was shut down due to soil found on the grounds of the school that was contaminated with pesticides at levels up to 39 times that allowed by safety guidelines. School officials have faced criticism that they knew of the contamination in January 2007, but waited until late May to inform parents. [Gartland, Michael. [http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MTYmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxNDM0NDImeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkz "Paramus mayor shuts down school"] , "The Record (Bergen County)", May 30, 2007. Accessed May 30, 2007. "Paramus Mayor James Tedesco on Tuesday ordered the closing of West Brook Middle School amid an uproar by parents concerned that contaminated soil found there could harm their children.... The school district knew of contamination up to 39 times state safety guidelines in January, but told parents about the tainted soil only last week."] ;High School (9-12)
*Paramus High School (1,680 students)

Awards and recognition

Three of the district's schools have been formally designated as National Blue Ribbon Schools, the highest honor that an American school can achieve: Paramus High School in 1988-99, Parkway Elementary School in 1987-88 and Ridge Ranch Elementary School in 1998-99. [ [http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF)] , accessed May 11, 2006.]

For the 1995-96 school year, Ridge Ranch Elementary School was named a "Star School" by the New Jersey Department of Education, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve. [ [http://www.state.nj.us/cgi-bin/education/ss/ss3.pl?string=id=021&maxhits=10000 New Jersey Department of Education Star School Award recipient detail 1995-96 school year, Ridge Ranch Elementary School] , accessed July 13, 2006.]

The district was selected as one of the top "100 Best Communities for Music Education in America 2005" by the American Music Conference [ [http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/PressReleaseDetail/0,,CNTID%253D37941%2526CTID%253D560402%2526CNTYP%253DNEWS,00.html Best 100 (101!) Communities for Music Education in America, 2005] , accessed December 12, 2006.] , and was selected again for this honor in 2006. [ [http://www.amc-music.com/news/articles/survey/final2006.htm Best 100 Communities for Music Education in America, 2006] , accessed December 12, 2006.]

Controversies

In late May 2007, a local newspaper called The Record broke a story in which Paramus Public School officials knowingly failed to report the presence of the banned pesticides aldrin, dieldrin, and chlordane on the campus of Westbrook, a middle school in the system. [ [http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk0OCZmZ2JlbDdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5NzE0MDA0MSZ5cmlyeTdmNzE3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTI= Pesticides in soil can cause illness] , accessed June 08, 2007.] Responding to local outrage, the superintendent, Janice Dime, assured in a letter addressed to the public that the chemicals were not hazardous, however, town mayor, James Tedesco described Dime's statement as being either misinformed or deliberately misleading. [ [http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk0MDUmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxNDc0NTcmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky A contaminated situation] , accessed June 08, 2007.] Because of public pressure, on June, 06, 2007, the district's board of education placed Janice Dime on an extended leave [ [http://www.paramus.k12.nj.us/boejune6.pdf An Important Message From the Board of Education] , accessed June 08, 2007.] and shut down Westbrook Middle School for decontamination and testing. On June 13, test results done by a town contracted firm revealed that two of the thirty tested areas on campus had levels of chlordane that exceeded state safety standards. [ [http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MTUyMTg0JnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg= Pesticide confirmed at Paramus school] , accessed June 19, 2007.] Still, officials and specialists are pushing for more tests. [ [http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MTUyMTg0JnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg= Pesticide confirmed at Paramus school] , accessed June 19, 2007.] Since the incident more soil tests have been conducted around the area and in other parts of Paramus, with some yielding positive for excessive presence of pesticide. [ [http://www.paramuspost.com/article.php/20080109124605974 An open letter to Paramus residents from Mayor James Tedesco] , accessed January 16, 2008.] Westbrook has been decontaminated and is has reopened its doors to students and Janice Dime has resigned from her position as superintendent.

= Administration =
*Dr.Eugene Westlake - Interm Superintendent of Schools
*Dr.James Montesano- Superintendent of Schools (Effective September 2008)
*Owen Snyder - Assistant Superintendent
*Gary S. Lane Assistant Superintendent/Business Administrator/Board Secretary

References

External links

* [http://www.paramus.k12.nj.us/ Paramus Public Schools]
*NJReportCard|03|3930|0|Paramus Public Schools
* [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3412420 Paramus Public Schools] , National Center for Education Statistics