Editing Lower Township, New Jersey (section)

==Education==
[[File:Lower Cape May Regional High School.jpg|thumb|[[Lower Cape May Regional High School]] in the [[Erma, New Jersey|Erma]] area]]
[[File:Lower Cape Branch Library NJ.JPG|thumb|Lower Township Branch, Cape May Library, on Bayshore Road in [[Villas, New Jersey|Villas CDP]]]]
[[File:Fishing Creek School from NW.JPG|thumb|Fishing Creek Schoolhouse]]
[[Lower Township School District]] serves public-school students in [[pre-kindergarten]] through [[sixth grade]].<ref>[https://www.straussesmay.com/seportal/public/DistrictPolicy.aspx?policyid=0110&id=b15cec7a22144e5788401e3d465cbc12 Lower Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification], Lower Township School District. Accessed August 4, 2022. "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 six in the Lower Township School District. Composition: The Lower Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Lower Township."</ref> As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,519 students and 149.6 classroom teachers (on an [[full-time equivalent|FTE]] basis), for a [[student–teacher ratio]] of 10.2:1.<ref name=NCES>[https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?Search=2&details=1&ID2=3409150&DistrictID=3409150 District information for Lower Township Elementary School District], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]. Accessed February 15, 2022.</ref> Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the [[National Center for Education Statistics]]<ref>[https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3409150 School Data for the Lower Township School District], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]. Accessed February 15, 2022.</ref>) are 
David C. Douglass Veterans Memorial School<ref>[https://lowertwpschools.com/memorial-principal David C. Douglass Veterans Memorial School], Lower Township School District. Accessed February 11, 2020.</ref> with 312 students in grades PreK-K (in [[Villas, New Jersey|Villas]]), 
Carl T. Mitnick School<ref>[https://lowertwpschools.com/mitnick-principal Carl T. Mitnick School], Lower Township School District. Accessed February 11, 2020.</ref> with 440 students in grades 1-2 (in [[Cold Spring, New Jersey|Cold Spring]]), 
Maud T. Abrams School<ref>[https://lowertwpschools.com/maudabrams-principal Maud T. Abrams School], Lower Township School District. Accessed February 11, 2020.</ref> with 355 students in grades 3-4 (in Cold Spring), and 
Charles W. Sandman Consolidated School<ref>[https://lowertwpschools.com/sandman-principal Charles W. Sandman Consolidated School], Lower Township School District. Accessed February 11, 2020.</ref> with 388 students in grades 5-6 (in Cold Spring).<ref>[https://lowertwpschools.com/announcements/student-parent-handbook.pdf ''Student-Parent Handbook 2019-2020''], Lower Township School District. Accessed August 4, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://rc.doe.state.nj.us/selectreport/2022-2023/09/2840 School Performance Reports for the Lower Township Elementary School District], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed April 1, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://homeroom6.doe.state.nj.us/directory/school/districtid/2840 New Jersey School Directory for the Lower Township School District], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> The Lower Township School District participates in the [[Interdistrict Public School Choice Program]], which allows non-resident students to attend the district's schools without cost to their parents, with tuition paid by the state. Seats in the program for non-resident students are specified by the district and are allocated by lottery.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/education/choice/districts/districts.pdf Interdistrict Public School Choice Program List of Operating Choice Districts: 2018-2019 School Year], [[New Jersey Department of Education]], September 18, 2017. Accessed January 11, 2018.</ref><ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/education/choice/districts/profiles/LowerTownship.pdf Lower Township Elementary District Choice Program Profile], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed January 11, 2018.</ref>

For [[seventh grade|seventh]] through [[twelfth grade]]s, public-school students attend the schools of the [[Lower Cape May Regional School District]], in the [[Erma, New Jersey|Erma]] area of the township, which also serves students from [[Cape May, New Jersey|Cape May City]] and [[West Cape May, New Jersey|West Cape May]], along with students from [[Cape May Point, New Jersey|Cape May Point]] who attend the district as part of a [[sending/receiving relationship]].<ref>[https://www.straussesmay.com/seportal/Public/DistrictPolicy.aspx?policyid=0110&id=a1180cab567947029fbbe63e8248e1e8 Lower Cape May Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification], Lower Cape May Regional School District. Accessed August 29, 2024. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades seven through twelve. Composition: The Lower Cape May Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Cape May, Lower Township, and West Cape May."</ref><ref name=Study>Johnson, Virgil; and Kirtland, James L. [https://www.lcmrschooldistrict.com/brettimages/feasibstudytoreconfigure.pdf "A Feasibility Study to Reconfigure the Lower Cape May Regional School District"], Statistical Forecasting LLC, June 2013. Accessed August 29, 2024. "Cape May City is one of three constituent communities served by the Lower Cape May Regional School District ('Lower Cape May Regional'), a limited purpose school district providing education for the middle and high school students from Cape May City, Lower Township, and West Cape May.... Students from Cape May Point attend on a sending-receiving basis."</ref><ref>[https://lcmrschooldistrict.com/brettimages/choice-brochure.pdf ''Interdistrict Public School Choice''], Lower Cape May Regional School District. Accessed August 29, 2024. "Lower Cape May Regional High School is a four year comprehensive public High School that serves students from Cape May, West Cape May, Lower Township, Cape May Point and now Choice School students."</ref><ref>Linehan, Mary. [http://www.shorenewstoday.com/cape_may/news/cape-may-makes-new-push-to-dissolve-lower-cape-may/article_0f7ad457-f3bc-5890-9b77-b4cbb0d1c2cd.html "Cape May makes new push to dissolve Lower Cape May Regional school district"], ''The Gazette of Cape May'', June 20, 2013. Accessed January 11, 2018. "The regional school district was formed in 1956 and now serves as a limited purpose regional school district educating students from Cape May, Cape May Point, West Cape May and Lower Township. Cape May Point students attend on a 'sending-receiving' basis."</ref> Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from the [[National Center for Education Statistics]]<ref>[https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3409090 School Data for the Lower Cape May Regional High School District], [[National Center for Education Statistics]]. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>) are
Richard M. Teitelman Middle School<ref>[https://lcmrschooldistrict.com/rmtgeneralinformation General Information], Richard M. Teitelman Middle School. Accessed August 29, 2024.</ref> with 433 students in grades 7-8 and
[[Lower Cape May Regional High School]] (LCMRHS)<ref>[https://lcmrschooldistrict.com/lcmrgeneralinformation General Information], Lower Cape May Regional High School. Accessed August 29, 2024.</ref> with 757 students in grades 9–12.<ref>[https://rc.doe.state.nj.us/selectreport/2022-2023/09/2820 School Performance Reports for the Lower Cape May Regional School District], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed April 3, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://homeroom6.doe.state.nj.us/directory/school/districtid/2820 New Jersey School Directory for the Lower Cape May Regional School District], [[New Jersey Department of Education]]. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref> In the 2011–12 school year, the city of Cape May paid $6 million in property taxes to cover the district's 120 high-school students, an average of $50,000 per student attending the Lower Cape May district. Cape May officials have argued that the district's funding formula based on assessed property values unfairly penalizes Cape May, which has higher property values and a smaller number of high-school students as a percentage of the population than the other constituent districts, especially Lower Township.<ref>Fichter, Jack. [http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/news/government/article_12ad807f-e254-5a5d-9964-fcf526f88836.html "Cape May Paying $50K Per Student to Regional School District"], ''[[Cape May County Herald]]'', January 4, 2012. Accessed March 21, 2018. "Cape May — Taxpayers here pay $50,000 per year for each student sent to the Lower Cape May Regional High School District, a total of $6 million per year.... Deputy Mayor Jack Wichterman said Cape May was paying $6 million to send 120 kids to the regional school district.... 'We have no say in the formula that's utilized to determine how much money we pay to that school district,' he said. 'There are several formulas that can be used and the one that the Lower Township members of that school board chose to use is the one that penalizes the City of Cape May because our real estate values are so much higher than they are in Lower Township.'"</ref> The district's [[board of education]] is {{sic|comprised|hide=y|of}} nine members, who are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/education/finance/fp/cafr/search/18/2820.pdf#page=44 ''Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Lower Cape May Regional School District''], [[New Jersey Department of Education]], for year ending June 30, 2018. Accessed February 3, 2020. "The Lower Cape May Regional School District (District) is a Type II school district located in Cape May County, New Jersey and covers an area of approximately 34 square miles. As a Type II school district, it functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is {{sic|comprised|hide=y|of}} nine members elected to three-year terms. These terms are staggered so that three members' terms expire each year. The purpose of the School District is to provide educational services for all of Lower Cape May Regional's students in grades 7 through 12."</ref><ref>[https://lcmrschooldistrict.com/boardofeducation Board of Education], Lower Cape May Regional School District. Accessed February 11, 2020.</ref> Seats on the board are allocated based on population, with Lower Township assigned seven seats.<ref>Crowley, Terence J. [https://lcmrschooldistrict.com/brettimages/responsetocmcbytcrowley.pdf#page=17 ''A Response to the Cape May Study to Reconfigure the Lower Cape May Regional School District''], Lower Cape May Regional School District, January 6, 2014. Accessed February 11, 2020. "The Lower Cape May Regional District (Regional) is classified as a Limited Purpose District.... It is a Type II district and apportions the Board of Education seats based upon the most recent United States Census. It has nine seats on the Board and that are apportioned as follows: Cape May City 1; West Cape May 1; Lower Township 7."</ref>

Students are also eligible to attend [[Cape May County Technical High School]] in Cape May Court House, which serves students from the entire county in its comprehensive and vocational programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents.<ref>[https://www.capemaytech.com/faq.html Frequently Asked Questions], [[Cape May County Technical High School]]. Accessed October 27, 2019. "All residents of Cape May County are eligible to attend Cape May County Technical High School.... The Cape May County Technical High School is a public school so there is no cost to residents of Cape May County."</ref><ref>[https://www.capemaytech.com/hs-admissions.html Technical High School Admissions], [[Cape May County Technical High School]]. Accessed October 27, 2019. "All students who are residents of Cape May County may apply to the Technical High School."</ref> Special needs students may be referred to [[Cape May County Special Services School District]] in Cape May Court House.

[[Wildwood Catholic Academy]] (Pre-K–12) in [[North Wildwood, New Jersey|North Wildwood]], of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden]], is the nearest Catholic school. Villas had its own Catholic [[K–8 school]], St. Raymond's School, until 2007, when it merged into Our Lady Star of the Sea School in [[Cape May, New Jersey|Cape May]].<ref name=Ianeri>{{cite web |last=Ianeri |first=Brian |url=https://pressofatlanticcity.com:443/news/breaking/our-lady-star-of-the-sea-school-in-cape-may-to-close-in-2010/article_1b4ddb56-3f2d-11de-8bee-001cc4c002e0.html |title=Our Lady Star of the Sea school in Cape May to close in 2010 |newspaper=[[Press of Atlantic City]] |date=2009-05-12 |access-date=2020-09-11}}</ref> In 2010 Our Lady Star of the Sea merged into Cape Trinity Regional School (Pre-K–8) in North Wildwood.<ref name=DiPasquale>{{cite web |last=DiPasquale |first=Donna |url=https://www.capemay.com/blog/2010/06/after-92-years-star-of-the-sea-school-closes-its-doors/ |title=After 92 years, Star of the Sea School closes its doors |publisher=Cape Publishing, Inc. |date=2010-06-22 |access-date=2020-09-11}} - The author was the principal of Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School.</ref> That school in turn merged into Wildwood Catholic Academy in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last=Franklin |first=Chris |url=https://www.nj.com:443/cape-may-county/2020/06/2-jersey-shore-catholic-schools-slated-to-close-have-been-saved.html |title=2 Jersey Shore Catholic schools slated to close have been saved |work=[[Nj.com]] |publisher=[[NJ Advance Media]] |date=2020-06-04 |access-date=2020-09-11}}</ref> {{As of|2020}} Bishop McHugh Regional School in [[Dennis Township, New Jersey|Dennis Township]] takes students from Lower Township.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bishopmchugh.com/about_us/areas_we_serve |title=Areas We Serve |publisher=Bishop McHugh Regional Catholic School of Dennis Township |accessdate=2020-09-14}}</ref>

Two of the initial properties of [[Cape Christian Academy]], formed {{circa|1990}}<!--1993 minus three years--> as a merger of South Cape Christian Academy and Cape May County Christian School were in Lower Township.<ref name=Degenerproperties>{{cite news |last=Degener |first=Richard |title=PROPERTIED CLASS / CAPE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY BUYS LAND FOR CENTRAL CAMPUS |newspaper=[[The Press of Atlantic City]] |date=1993-09-23 |page=C1}} - Available from [[Newsbank]], [https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/0EAEAA6D18083359&f=basic ID# news/0EAEAA6D18083359].</ref> The current consolidated school building is in [[Middle Township, New Jersey|Middle Township]], with a [[Cape May Courthouse]] postal address and within the CMCH census-designated place.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.capechristianacademy.com/ |title=Home |publisher=Cape Christian Academy |accessdate=2021-07-15 |quote=10 Oyster Road Cape May Court House, NJ 08210}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st34_nj/place/p3410300_cape_may_court_house/DC10BLK_P3410300_000.pdf See map of CDP from the 2010 U.S. Census] - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st34_nj/place/p3410300_cape_may_court_house/DC10BLK_P3410300_001.pdf page 1] and [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st34_nj/place/p3410300_cape_may_court_house/DC10BLK_P3410300_002.pdf page 2]. In contrast it is across from but not in the [[Burleigh, New Jersey|Burleigh]] CDP: [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st34_nj/place/p3408890_burleigh/DC10BLK_P3408890_001.pdf Seen here].</ref> Richard Degener of the ''[[Press of Atlantic City]]'' described it as being in [[Burleigh, New Jersey|Burleigh]]. Its campus has {{convert|6.5|acre|ha}} of area.<ref name=Degenerproperties/>

Cape May County Library operates the Lower Township Library in Villas.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cmclibrary.org/about-the-library/locations/lowertownship |title=Lower Township |publisher=Cape May County Library |access-date=2020-09-18}}</ref>