The Berkeley Heights Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district serving students in pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade from Berkeley Heights in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Board of Education Bylaws 0110 - Identification, Berkeley Heights Public Schools, revised March 15, 2001. Accessed August 10, 2025. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades kindergarten through 12 in the Berkeley Heights School District, and preschool children identified for special education as required by statute. Composition: The Berkeley Heights School District is comprised of all area within the municipal boundaries of Berkeley Heights."

As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 2,441 students and 225.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.8:1.District information for Berkeley Heights School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.

The district's high school serves public school students of Berkeley Heights, along with approximately 300 students from the neighboring borough of Mountainside who are educated at the school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Mountainside School District.Berkeley Heights Public School District 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 7, 2016. "In addition to serving the public school students of Berkeley Heights, high school students from the neighboring Borough of Mountainside are educated at Governor Livingston High School."Mustac, Frank. "Contract Signed to Continue Sending Mountainside Students to Governor Livingston High School", TAP into Mountainside, October 12, 2016. Accessed February 5, 2020. "With the Berkeley Heights Board of Education's recent approval of a renegotiated send/receive agreement, new terms are now in place by which the Mountainside School District will be sending its students in grades nine through 12 to Governor Livingston High School.... The new contract runs for five years from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2022, with a renewal option for an additional five years... The business administrator explained that 30 percent of the Mountainside School District annual budget goes to paying the Berkeley Heights district for sending about 300 students who live in Mountainside to Governor Livingston High School."Migueis, John. "Too Many Bosses, Not Enough Students — A Case for School District Unification in Union County", Medium, July 17, 2025. Accessed August 10, 2025. "Mountainside is one of these tiny, K-8 districts that has two schools and approximately 800 students. Berkeley Heights (BHPS) has 2,300 students and six schools including Governor Livingston High School (GLHS), which Mountainside’s students attend as part of a send-receive relationship. Mountainside has too few students to have its own high school.... Every five years, Berkeley Heights and Mountainside renegotiate to keep Mountainside students attending GLHS versus going to another high school, such as Westfield or Springfield (Mountainside sent students to Jonathan Dayton in Springfield many decades ago)." Governor Livingston provides programs for deaf, hard of hearing and cognitively-impaired students in the district and those who are enrolled from all over north-central New Jersey who attend on a tuition basis.Baum, Victoria. "Governor Livingston High School’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Celebrates 42 Years of Innovation and Excellence", TAP into Mountainside, October 29, 2019. Accessed February 28, 2021. "Since 1976, Governor Livingston High School’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program has been offering unique opportunities for high school students throughout the state of New Jersey. This award-winning program is a part of the fabric of Governor Livingston High School and offers a comprehensive curriculum, extensive electives and a variety of extracurricular activities to ensure an outstanding high school experience for all enrolled students. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program at GLHS offers exceptional opportunities to qualifying deaf and hearing-impaired students within the Berkeley Heights School District, as well as other students who attend from neighboring districts through a tuition-based program."

History Union County Regional High School District was established in 1937 as the first regional high school district in New Jersey, serving students from Berkeley Heights, Clark, Garwood, Kenilworth, Mountainside and Springfield. In November 1953, district voters approved a $1.95 million bond referendum that included funds to purchase a site in Berkeley Heights for a third high school. In April 1957, voters approved a $3.8 million bond referendum that included funds to construct a high school on the Berkeley Heights site."Voters OK Funds For New School", Courier News, May 1, 1957. Accessed August 10, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "The Union County Regional Board of Education's S3.8 million bond issue was passed by an overwhelming majority vote yesterday. Final tally of the six-member school district showed 1,279 for and 209 against. The bond issue will provide a 900-pupil regional high school for Berkeley Heights on a 35-acre tract off Mountain Ave. with doors scheduled to open by the Fall of 1959." The name "Governor Livingston Regional High School" was chosen in September 1959, though there was criticism about potential confusion with Livingston High School located away in Livingston."'Unfortunate' Galled Good School Name", Courier News, September 2, 1959. Accessed August 10, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "Governor Livingston Regional High School, the name chosen for the school by the board's school name committee of Everett A. Fay and Dr. Minor C. K. Jones, came under immediate fire from board member John L. Banyasz. Banyasz said, 'The greatest deed the board could do is to name it Memorial High School in honor of the memory of the boys from the school district who gave their lives for their country. As a matter of fact, there's a Livingston High School and a Livingston town within a few miles of us.'" In September 1960, the school opened its doors to 800 students from Berkeley Heights and Mountainside. The regional district's superintendent at the time was Dr. Warren Davis and Frederick Aho was the first principal of the high school."Schools to Offer Electronics Course", Courier News, August 13, 1960. Accessed August 10, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "Fredericks joins with Superintendent Warren M. Davis and Principal Frederick Aho in their enthusiasm for the new featured course at the Governor Livingston School."

In May 1996, the vote to de-regionalize the school district passed and the incoming freshmen in 1997–98 school year were the first to enter Governor Livingston High School, which became part of the Berkeley Heights School District.Assembly Task Force on School District Regionalization; Findings and Recommendations, New Jersey Legislature, February 25, 1999, p. 27. Accessed August 10, 2025. "Berkeley Heights, Clark, Garwood, Kenilworth, Mountainside and Springfield formed the limited purpose Union County Regional District No. 1 in 1937.... There was a very short time between the vote by the public to dissolve in May 1996, the selection process of employees in December 1996, and the formal dissolution on June 30, 1997."

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 (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed December 1, 2024.

Schools

Schools in the district (with 2023–24 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsSchool Data for the Berkeley Heights Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2022.) are:School Performance Reports for the Berkeley Heights School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July 1, 2025.New Jersey School Directory for the Berkeley Heights Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024. Elementary schools Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood CenterMary Kay McMillin Early Childhood Center, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed August 10, 2025. with 249 students in grades PreK–2 James Finley, principalAdministration, Mary Kay McMillin Early Childhood Center. Accessed August 10, 2025. William Woodruff Elementary SchoolWilliam Woodruff Elementary School, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed August 10, 2025. with 243 students in grades K–2 Brenda Marley, principalAdministrative Team, William Woodruff Elementary School. Accessed August 10, 2025. Thomas P. Hughes Elementary SchoolThomas P. Hughes Elementary School, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed August 10, 2025. with 270 students in grades 3–5 Chris Derflinger, principalAdministration, Thomas P. Hughes Elementary School. Accessed August 10, 2025. Mountain Park Elementary SchoolMountain Park Elementary School, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed August 10, 2025. with 214 students in grades 3–5 Jon Morisseau, principalAdministration, Mountain Park Elementary School. Accessed August 10, 2025. Middle school Columbia Middle SchoolColumbia Middle School, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed August 10, 2025. with 536 students in grades 6–8 Paul Kobliska, principalAdministration, Columbia Middle School. Accessed August 10, 2025. High school Governor Livingston High SchoolGovernor Livingston High School, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed August 10, 2025. with 920 students in grades 9–12 Robert Nixon, principalAdministration, Governor Livingston High School. Accessed August 10, 2025.

Administration Core members of the district's administration are:District Administrative Team, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed August 10, 2025.New Jersey School Directory for Union County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024. Kim Feltre, superintendentBaum, Vicki. "Berkeley Heights Board of Education Names Dr. Kim Feltre Superintendent of Schools", TAPinto Berkeley Heights, October 29, 2024. Accessed August 10, 2025. "The Berkeley Heights Board of Education is pleased to announce that at the Tuesday, October 29th BOE meeting, the appointment of Dr. Kim Feltre to the position of Superintendent of Berkeley Heights Public School was approved." Dan Gallagher, interim business administrator and board secretaryBusiness Office, Berkeley Heights Public Schools. Accessed August 10, 2025.

Board of education