Five Things: Board of Education Meeting

The school board met Wednesday night at West Orange High School. Here are five things you need to know.

1. School officials held a moment of silence to honor slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin. West Orange High School student Kahina Jean-Baptiste spoke about "Hoodie Day," a on Friday to show support for Martin who was shot to death by a neighborhood watch volunteer.

"I'm very pleased the students want to take a stand for something they feel strongly about," Superintendent of West Orange Schools Dr. Anthony Cavanna said. "We appreciate the students stepping up."

2. The West Orange High School Wrestling Team was recognized for clinching the state sectional title. West Orange Athletic Director Ron Bligh said the honor was a "culmination of a lot of hard work." He said the and acknowledged the work of the coaches and support of the parents.

3. The St. Cloud Parent-Teacher Association was recognized by the school board for having the . The site was picked across the state to receive an award at the 111th Annual NJPTA Convention Awards Banquet on March 24.

4. A handful of first grade students at Mt. Pleasant Elementary School will as part of a special report by Anderson Cooper and Soledad O'Brien on race in America. Fifteen African-American first graders and 15 Caucasian first graders were interviewed in January were interviewed by Dr. Melanie Killen, the segment's child development expert and a professor at the University of Maryland. Cavanna said 145 students were interviewed across six schools in the country. The segment will air at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. April 2/

5. The 2012-13 budget was approved by the board of education in a unanimous vote. The $139 million total budget will raise taxes by roughly $93 on an average home assessed at $339,000. The tax increase is the lowest percentage increase in 11 years, school officials said.

[Editor's note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said the average tax increase would be $73, it is roughly $93.]