The West Essex Regional School District is a regional public school district serving students in seventh through twelfth grade from Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell and Roseland, four municipalities in western Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.West Essex Regional School District Bylaw 0110 - Identification, West Essex Regional School District, adopted February 9, 2009. Accessed August 26, 2026. "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 in the West Essex Regional School District. Composition: The West Essex Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell and Roseland."West Essex Regional School District 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 4, 2016. "The West Essex Regional School District is a comprehensive high school serving the communities of Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, and Roseland in northern New Jersey."About Our District, West Essex Regional School District. Accessed August 26, 2026. "The West Essex Regional School District, located in North Caldwell, New Jersey, proudly serves the communities of Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, and Roseland through two outstanding schools: West Essex Middle School (grades 7–8) and West Essex High School (grades 9–12)." These four suburban residential communities located approximately from New York City have a combined population of approximately 23,000 people and cover an area of .
West Essex Regional is accredited by the New Jersey Department of Education and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
As of the 2024–25 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 1,648 students and 152.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.8:1.District information for West Essex Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
History In December 1957, a referendum was passed by residents of Essex Fells, Fairfield (then known as Caldwell Township), North Caldwell and Roseland to create a regional high school district. Until then, the residents of those communities had attended James Caldwell High School (then known as Grover Cleveland High School) as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public Schools, which said that it would no longer be able to accept students from those districts/Staff. "Jerseyans To Vote On School District", The New York Times, December 8, 1957. Accessed August 26, 2026. Residents of Caldwell Township, Essex Fells, North Caldwell and Roseland will vote Tuesday on a referendum proposing a regional board of education for the area.... The four districts have no secondary schools, but have been sending their senior high school pupils to Grover Cleveland High School here on an annual fee basis. Last spring the joint Caldwell-West Caldwell board told the sending districts that it would no longer accept freshmen."
In December 1958, voters passed a referendum for a $4.5 million bond (equivalent to $ million in ) that would be used to pay for construction of the new school facility to be available for use in September 1960.Honig, Milton. "New School Put To Jersey Vote; 4 West Essex Towns to Act Tuesday on a $4,495,600 Bond Plan – Taxes Argued", The New York Times, December 7, 1958. Accessed August 26, 2026. "Residents of four West Essex communities – Caldwell Township, Essex Fells, North Caldwell and Roseland – will vote Tuesday on a referendum proposing a $4,495,600 bond issue to finance a regional junior-senior high school." The West Essex district opened in September 1960 for students in grades 9–11 in facilities rented from the Caldwell-West Caldwell district, and the district's new building opened in September 1961, with 1,200 students in grades 7–12.Staff. "Essex", The New York Times, September 5, 1960. Accessed July 24, 2011.Honig, Milton. "Essex", The New York Times, September 4, 1961. Accessed August 26, 2026.
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.District Factor Groups for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education, updated May 29, 2025. Accessed August 26, 2026.
Awards, recognition and rankings The school was the 16th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 328 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2012 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 36th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2012. The magazine ranked the school 48th in 2008 out of 316 schools.Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 31, 2011.
Schools Schools in the district (with 2024–25 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsSchool Data for the West Essex Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.) are:School Performance Reports for the West Essex Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed August 26, 2026.New Jersey School Directory for the West Essex Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024. West Essex Middle SchoolWest Essex Middle School, West Essex Regional School District. Accessed August 26, 2026. with 558 students in grades 7–8 Alicia Angione, principalOur Leadership Team, West Essex Middle School. Accessed August 26, 2026. West Essex High SchoolWest Essex High School, West Essex Regional School District. Accessed August 26, 2026. with 1,061 students in grades 9–12 Kimberly Westervelt, principalOur Leadership Team, West Essex High School. Accessed August 26, 2026.
Administration Members of the district administration are:Program of Studies 2025–2026, West Essex Regional School District. Accessed August 26, 2026.New Jersey School Directory for Essex County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024. Damion Macioci, superintendentOur Leadership Team, West Essex Regional School District. Accessed August 26, 2026. Melissa Kida, business administrator and board secretaryDistrict Departments, West Essex Regional School District. Accessed August 26, 2026.
Board of education The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees 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 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.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.Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the West Essex Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2025. Accessed August 26, 2026. "The West Essex Regional School District is comprised of four suburban municipalities: Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, and Roseland. Covering an area of 18 square miles, with a combined population of approximately 22,850, these four highly desirable communities are located just 25 miles west of the cultural center of New York City and one hour from the New Jersey shore.... The Board is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The Board consists of elected officials and is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. A superintendent is appointed by the Board and is responsible for the administrative control of the District." See "Roster of Officials" on page 11. Seats on the board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with three seats assigned to Fairfield, three to North Caldwell, two to Roseland and one to Essex Fells.Board of Education, West Essex Regional School District. Accessed August 26, 2026. "The Board is comprised of 9 elected members: 3 from Fairfield, 3 from North Caldwell, 2 from Roseland, and 1 from Essex Fells. The number of seats is determined by each town's population. "
References
External links West Essex Regional School District
School Data for the West Essex Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics