Jonathan Dayton High School

Jonathan Dayton High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Springfield Township, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school is part of the Springfield Public Schools and is named after Jonathan Dayton, a signer of the United States Constitution. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 610 students and 49.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.4:1. There were 60 students (9.8% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 20 (3.3% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch. History Springfield Township became one of the six constituent municipalities of the Union County Regional High School District when it was established, joining Berkeley Heights, Clark, Garwood, Kenilworth and Mountainside. Voters approved the construction of the district's first high school in Springfield at a referendum held November 1, 1935, just eleven days after a successful referendum to create the district. The school opened to students in September 1937 as the first school in the district. The original building contained 27 classrooms, three science labs, three shops, a library, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, an auditorium, and offices. The school has been expanded several times in subsequent years. A former Civilian Conservation Corps administration building was moved to the site from Meisel Avenue in March 1942 to serve as a classroom for the vocational program in agriculture. The agriculture program continued until 1970, when it was discontinued due to the decline in farming within the district. A 21-room addition was completed in September 1953 at a cost of $1.32 million after being approved by voters in a November 1951 referendum. The addition contained 20 classrooms, three science labs, two shops, two music rooms, a gymnasium, and offices; renovations were completed to portions of the original building at the same time. On May 4, 1971, voters approved a $4.7 million bond referendum to expand and renovate each school in the district. At Dayton, the addition of three science labs, two classrooms, two music rooms, an auxiliary gymnasium, and an instructional media center, and various renovations and expansions were completed by September 1973.