Superintendent's Message To Point Pleasant Boro Parents, Students

Superintendent Vincent S. Smith has issued a message to the district that highlights what students and parents should expect for the new school year.

According to Smith:

• New curriculum initiatives and academic programs await approximately 2,800 students upon their return to school; at the elementary level, the coming year will see the continued implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards as well as the continued integration of Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop.
• At the middle and high school, students will benefit from new mathematics program, enVision 2.0 while high school students will have more opportunities to earn college credit from a new dual enrollment agreement with Ocean County College that allows students to earn their associates degree concurrently with their high school diploma.
• District administration, faculty and staff were hard at work this summer, readying their classrooms and themselves for the coming year. "Though summer is often regarded as a time for rest and relaxation, that is not the case for district staff, who spend the summer months prepping for our students’ return."
• School has remained in session for many teachers,who are taking part in some of the district’s summer professional development workshops. This summer’s professional learning opportunities include a focus on ensuring the seamless transition to the enVision 2.0 math program for grades 6-12; continued training on the Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop model; workshops to support differentiated learning for all students; continued mindfulness training to provide strategies for teachers and students to manage anxiety and stress; and mental health and well-being training for teachers and students that support positive behaviors and provide a toolbox to identify and respond to mental health disorders.
• Additional technology-themed workshops have been offered to educate teachers on the use of supplemental programs and tools to help streamline classroom instruction and make for a more effective and efficient learning experience.
• District facilities have also undergone some noted improvements this summer with regular maintenance and work on various capital improvements and renovation projects. Among this summer’s projects include the replacement of classroom lighting at the high school and of hallway lighting at the middle, high school and Nellie Bennett as well as renovations to the middle school locker rooms and the Ocean Road kindergarten restrooms.
• In addition to the cosmetic improvements being made to the facilities, safety remains a top priority in the district and, as such, the administration, working with safety experts, will continue to assess our school buildings and apply necessary safety improvements.
• As a reminder, Point Pleasant residents will head to the polls on Election Day, November 6, to vote to approve a ballot question appropriating an additional $198,000 for General Funds for the 2018-2019 school year. The purpose of these funds will be used to cover the costs for four full-time municipality police officers to provide security in the Point Pleasant School District during normal school hours. Approval of the question will result in a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy.
• If the question is approved, officers will remain in district schools for the coming year and into the future; however, if it’s voted down, the district will not be able to fund the expenditure to keep the officers in schools.
• While the coming school year is sure to give rise to additional opportunities, it has also brought some unique challenges following the Board of Education-approved plan to revise the 2018-19 budget due to the loss of over $360,000 in state aid. This loss of state aid has been especially difficult to implement because it’s been levied against the district’s 2018-19 budget, which was approved on April 30, 2018.
• On July 13, 2018, the district was notified that not only would it not receive the $211,000 aid increase that the state pledged to the district prior to the passage of the 2018-19 budget but also an additional $153,599 for a total aid loss of $364,599 for the coming school year. Central administration along with the business office and Board of Education have worked closely to ensure that the revisions to the budget have been applied in the most prudent manner and with the least impact on students; however, the loss of state aid is sure to pose a number of future challenges to the district’s already austere budgeting procedures as it is likely to continue for the next seven years.

Point Boro photo of Smith