Sparta Earns High Marks As County's Top School District On School-Rating Website

SPARTA, NJ — The Sparta Township Public School District received an “A” ranking and was chosen as Sussex County’s top school district, according to Niche.

It was given a "Niche Best Schools" award for 2022, for its top scores additionally in Sussex County for safety, for its teachers and among best places to teach.

The website released its 2022 best schools and district rankings this past Monday for schools across the nation, in public, private and school district categories.

In a news release from the company, Niche reports it is an online platform that "connects students and families with colleges and schools."

The Sparta Township School District received an overall "Niche Grade" of A, with grades compiled, calculated and analyzed from public sources, including reviews by students, parents and residents in each area.

Some metrics from its report card for Sparta Township Schools included the following grades:
A+ - Academics
A - College Prep
A - Clubs and Activities
A - Health and Safety
A- - Teachers
A- - Sports
B+ Resources and Facilities
B - Food
B- - Administration
C- - Diversity

As a school district, Sparta Township has 3,149 students among its grades PK, K-12 population, with an 11 to 1 student to teacher ratio, Niche stated. Students in the district have demonstrated a 63 percent proficiency in math and 72 percent in reading, per their test scores from the state, as reported on the website.

The Niche grades for its schools includes:
A for Alpine
A- for Helen Morgan
B+ for Mohawk Avenue
A- for Sparta Middle School
A- for Sparta High School

Sparta High School was ranked the county’s best public high school, followed by Newton High School, Lenape Valley Regional High School, High Point Regional High School and Kittatinny Regional High School, rounding out the top five.

According to Niche, Sparta Township Public School District is the safest school district in Sussex County, as well as the best place to teach countywide and the Sussex County school district with the best teachers.

Among its New Jersey accolades, Sparta ranked:
77 of 243 Best School Districts in New Jersey
78 of 377 Safest School Districts in New Jersey
83 of 243 Best Districts for Athletes in New Jersey
112 of 377 Best Places to Teach in New Jersey
139 of 377 Best Teachers in New Jersey

Nationally, Niche ranked Sparta's district 949 of 10,772 Best School Districts in America.

See Sparta Township Public School District’s full profile here.

"Our 2022 rankings come at a time when so many parents are curious about the different options for their children's education, including some they may never have considered before," Niche Founder and CEO Luke Skurman said. "No matter where they are in their search process, we strive to be a reliable guide and resource. It is truly an honor to know our users trust us to play a key role in such a big life decision."

For Niche's entire 2022 Best Schools rankings, visit: www.niche.com/k12/rankings.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.