Warren Among Top 50 Best School Districts To Teach In NJ

WARREN, NJ — While money isn't the only factor, teacher salaries do play a role in determining a good place to teach. Niche recently released rankings on the "best places to teach" in the United States and in New Jersey. And Warren Township School District is pretty high on the list.

The school district was ranked 48th in the state for best places to teach. The district has a 10:1 student-teacher ratio versus the national ratio of 17:1.

The platform's methodology incorporates several factors, including a school district's overall Niche grade, resources and facilities, and student-teacher ratio.

But 30 percent of the calculations include each district's average teacher salary and teacher salary index — the average teacher salary normalized by median household income by county.

In Warren Township, the average salary of a teacher is $85,424. This is above the median public-school teacher salary in the state last year totaling $74,186, according to the state Department of Education.

Teacher salaries depend on numerous factors like district contracts, seniority and local cost of living.

Teachers in New Jersey have the highest average starting salaries in the country at $54,053 in the 2020-21 school year, according to the National Education Association.

The average starting salary in the nation for 2020-21 was $41,770. However, the cost of living in New Jersey is among the highest in the country.

And with inflation hitting the country, teacher salaries reached their lowest inflation-adjusted levels since the Great Recession, the National Education Association said.

Take a look at how Warren Township School District compares with other districts in Somerset County. The districts are listed by ranking number, name of district, average teacher salary, and student-teacher ratio:

• 27th - Somerset Hills Regional School District - $85,446 - 14:1
• 48th - Warren Township School District - $85,424 - 10:1
• 68th - Green Brook Township Public School District - $69,247 - 9:1
• 76th - Hillsborough Township Public School District - $82,703 - 16:1
• 90th - Bernards Township School District - $74,786 - 13:1
• 98th - Bridgewater Raritan Regional School District - $80,918 - 13:1
• 170th - Watchung Borough Public School District - $68,089 - 12:1
• 183rd - Somerville Public School District - $72,436 - 13:1

See Niche's full list of the best places to teach in New Jersey.

— With reporting from Josh Bakan, Patch Staff

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