Johnson Park School
Township Elementary School at 285 Rosedale Road
Opened 1960. Closed 1981. Reopened 1992.
Johnson Park School opened in 1960 after population studies uncovered a need for additional elementary schools in Princeton. The school serves students in the western section of town, while Riverside School serves as its counterpart in eastern Princeton. The Johnson Park tract was gifted to the Township by Robert Wood Johnson, Chairman of the Johnson and Johnson Board of Directors. Johnson wanted to preserve the land’s natural beauty, and the woods surrounding the school provide ample opportunities for education and recreation.
Due to declining school enrollment throughout greater Princeton, Johnson Park closed in 1981. It reopened in 1993 after extensive renovations, including a new wing with a colorful pavilion entrance. A gorilla named Koko serves as the school’s mascot and greets students each day with a reminder to “Be Responsible. Be Respectful. Be Safe. Be Kind. Be Successful.”
Johnson Park School. PPS Archives.
Johnson Park under construction, 1959. PPS Archives.
Construction delays postponed Johnson Park’s opening, originally planned for 1959. Its students were sent to other elementary schools in Princeton until the building was finished a year later.
Students explore the nearby Stony Brook. Johnson Park Archives.
Students playing four square outside. Johnson Park Archives.
Amphitheater at Johnson Park. PPS Archives.
In 2018, the school’s PTO dedicated money to build an outdoor amphitheater named for Dr. Robert Ginsberg, Johnson Park’s longtime principal and a district educator.