New Contract, Student Representatives Mark Busy Month For Moorestown BOE

MOORESTOWN, NJ — October has been a busy, yet productive month for the Moorestown Board of Education and the Public School District. Three student representatives were named to the board, the terms of agreement for the MAA contract were approved, and a presentation was given on the State of the District presentation, among other updates.

At the October 17 meeting, Alex Karanjia, Emily O’Neil and Daniel Rohrbach were named as the three student representatives to the board. These students will attend the monthly board meetings and provide updates on school activities, serving as the “voice” of the student body. On a personal note, this has been a concept I have worked on for several years so I appreciate the support of the board and administration in finalizing this.

The “State of the District 2017” presentation was given by Director of Curriculum and Instruction Carole Butler. Butler gave an overview of student performance on standardized tests, graduation rates, and student achievement, among other areas.

Interestingly, Moorestown was the only school district in Burlington County in 2017 to have all graduating students meet graduation assessment requirements, meaning state approval of student portfolios was not needed.

Also, about 95 percent of the graduating class went on to college, with others going directly into the workforce, the military, and other schools. The full presentation with supporting data can be found at www.mtps.com.

For about the last six months, the board has negotiated a contract with the Moorestown Administrators Association (MAA), which represents the district’s principals and supervisors. The board’s negotiating team consisted of David Weinstein, Pete Palko, and myself. At the October meeting, the board approved the Terms of Agreement for a contract that runs from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020.

The board also announced that it developed three board goals during a planning retreat in May. The goals broadly pertain to curriculum, community engagement, and board operations. Action steps are being developed and specifics will be conveyed in the near future.

As a reminder, the 2017 election will be on Tuesday, November 7. The candidates for full terms in ballot order are Kameron K. Rabenou, Tinamarie Nicolo‐Dorfner, Jack F. Fairchild, Peter Palko, and Lauren Romano. Mark D. Villanueva is running unopposed for the two-year term to fill the seat vacated by Kathy Goldenberg. Both Mr. Palko and Mr. Villanueva currently serve on the Board.

The next meeting of the Board of Education is on Tuesday, November 14, 7 p.m. in the William Allen Middle School Media Center. I hope you can attend a future meeting and please do not hesitate to reach out if you need anything.

---
The views and content in this column do not necessarily represent those of the Moorestown Board of Education as a whole or any other individual member.

About this column: In this column, Moorestown Board of Education Member Brandon Pugh provides monthly updates on what's going on in the school district and on the BOE.