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Early records indicate that the first school in the old Newton Township was the Barton School, built as a private residence in 1789 on the present day site of 566 Haddon Avenue. The Friends Meeting House, located on what is today known as the old Newton Burial Ground, also served the educational needs of those early settlers.

The first school located in what was later to be known as the Borough of Collingswood was the Collingswood School, built in 1882 on the site of the current James A. Garfield Elementary. Construction of additional elementary buildings followed, including Zane School in 1906 (currently standing on the corner of Haddon and Irvin Avenues), Sharp School in 1905, Tatem School in 1910, James A. Garfield in 1915, and Mark Newbie in 1924. The old North School was demolished in 1975, making way for the present Zane-North School on the same site.In 1821, the Newton Union School Society was formed for the purpose of building a new school to replace the Meeting House, which had burned four years earlier. These efforts resulted in the construction of the Champion School, which still stands today off Collings Avenue in Haddon Township. William Tatem, one of the most prominent citizens of Collingswood in the first half of the 19th century, was listed in the 1850 census as a teacher at Champion. In 1938, control of this school was transferred to township officials in response to the passage of the Public Education Act, making Champion one of the first Public Schools in the state of New Jersey.

In response to the growing school age population, the district Board of Education established a high school program, housed in Zane School, in 1906. Construction of a new building for these older pupils commenced in 1910, with the completed Collingswood High School serving the needs of the community until 1962, when the present day structure was completed. In 1924, the present day Junior High School, one of the oldest currently in use in New Jersey, was opened for students in grades 7,8, and 9.

Today the Collingwood Schools offer a comprehensive curriculum from Pre-Kindergarten to the 12th. While program emphasis had continued to be on the development of the basic skills of reading, writing, and mathematics, program offerings such as foreign languages, computer programming, Gifted and Talented, and Vocational Education offer a wide range of educational experiences for all students.

In continuing to maintain the strong traditions of scholarship, leadership, and moral development which have characterized its educational program during the past 200 years, the Collingswood Public Schools look forward to continuing service to the students and the larger community as we move with confidence into the 21st century.