The Manchester Township School District is a comprehensive community school district serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in Manchester Township, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Manchester Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Manchester Township School District, adopted February 20, 2013. Accessed April 24, 2026. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre K through 12 in the Manchester Township School District."
The Manchester Township School District is also the receiving district for approximately 150 high school students from neighboring Lakehurst Borough, who attend as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Lakehurst School District.Manchester Township High School 2016 Report Card Narrative , New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed November 19, 2017. "Manchester Township High School is a four-year comprehensive high school that serves the students of Manchester Township and Lakehurst."District, Lakehurst School District. Accessed April 24, 2026. "Public school students from Lakehurst in ninth through twelfth grades attend Manchester Township High School in Manchester Township, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Manchester Township School District. The school opened in September 1976 with nearly 800 students from both Lakehurst and Manchester Township."
As of the 2024–25 school year, the district, comprised of six schools, had an enrollment of 2,916 students and 293.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.9:1. District information for Manchester Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.
The district had been classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "B", the second lowest 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.
Attendance boundary The district includes high school students from the Lakehurst component of Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst.Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst - Education, Military One Source. Accessed April 24, 2026. "Lakehurst students attending preschool through eighth grade attend the Lakehurst School District. Manchester High School serves students from ninth to twelfth grades." Note that this is a .mil site.
Schools
Schools in the district (with 2024–25 enrollment data from the National Center for Education StatisticsSchool Data for the Manchester Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed January 15, 2026.) are:About Our District - Our Schools, Manchester Township School District. Accessed April 24, 2026. "We have three elementary schools: Ridgeway Elementary School (Gr. Pre-K-5), Whiting Elementary School (Gr. Pre-K-5), and Manchester Township Elementary School (Gr. K-5). These three schools feed into Manchester Township Middle School (Gr. 6-8), and then to Manchester Township High School (Gr. 9-12). We are also the receiving district for approximately 150 high school students from neighboring Lakehurst Borough. In addition, the district has administrative responsibility for the state Regional Day School (Special Education) located in Jackson, New Jersey."Public Schools Directory 2025-2026; Living & Learning in Ocean County, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed April 1, 2026.School Performance Reports for the Manchester Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed September 1, 2025.New Jersey School Directory for the Manchester Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
Elementary schools Manchester Township Elementary SchoolManchester Township Elementary School, Manchester Township School District. Accessed April 24, 2026. with 573 students in grades PreK–5 Ellen Healy, principalPrincipal's Page, Manchester Township Elementary School. Accessed April 24, 2026. Ridgeway Elementary SchoolRidgeway Elementary School, Manchester Township School District. Accessed April 24, 2026. with 476 students in grades PreK–5 Sarah Thiffault, principalPrincipal's Page, Ridgeway Elementary School. Accessed April 24, 2026. Whiting Elementary SchoolWhiting Elementary School, Manchester Township School District. Accessed April 24, 2026. with 266 students in grades PreK–5 Evelyn Swift, principalPrincipal's Page, Whiting Elementary School. Accessed April 24, 2026. Middle school Manchester Township Middle SchoolManchester Township Middle School, Manchester Township School District. Accessed April 24, 2026. with 586 students in grades 6–8 Anthony GiaconiaMTMS Principal's Page, Manchester Township Middle School. Accessed April 24, 2026. High school Manchester Township High SchoolManchester Township High School, Manchester Township School District. Accessed April 24, 2026. with 947 students in grades 9–12 Alex George, interim principalPrincipal's Page, Manchester Township High School. Accessed April 24, 2026. Other Regional Day SchoolRegional Day School, Manchester Township School District. Accessed March 7, 2022. with 56 students in grades PreK-12, serves low incidence handicapped children Lisa Michallis, principalPrincipal's Page, Regional Day School. Accessed April 24, 2026.
Administration Core members of the district's administration are:New Jersey School Directory for Ocean County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024. Diane Pedroza, superintendentSuperintendent, Manchester Township School District. Accessed April 24, 2026. Craig A. Lorentzen, business administrator and board secretaryBusiness Office, Manchester Township School District. Accessed April 24, 2026.
Board of education The district's board of education, comprised of seven 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 either two or three seats up for election each year held (since 2013) 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 for the Manchester Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2025. Accessed April 24, 2026. "The Manchester Township School District is an independent reporting entity within the criteria adopted by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). All funds and the government-wide financial statements of the District are included in this report. The Manchester Township Board of Education and all its schools constitute the District’s reporting entity. The District provides a full range of educational services appropriate to grade levels PK through 12.... The District completed the 2024/2025 fiscal year with an enrollment of 2,879 students. This includes 115 students in grades 9-12 received from Lakehurst Elementary on a tuition basis." See "Roster of Officials" on page 23. An eighth member represents the Lakehurst sending district.Board Members, Manchester Township School District. Accessed April 24, 2026.
References
External links Manchester Township School District
School Data for the Manchester Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics