School Board

The oversight of school district guidance services will now be handled by two people instead of one. The Board of Education at its September 23 meeting voted to create two new positions: Supervisor of Guidance Pre-K-8 and Supervisor of Guidance 9-12. The positions replace the former district-wide guidance director position. The former Director of Guidance, Dana Karas, left the job …

Vimal Sodhani presents the donation check to Board of Education president Nancy LaCorte at the September 23 meeting. A local charitable foundation made the first of what will be sustained donations to the school district’s Innovation Competition. Sodhani Foundation founder Vimal Sodhani donated $3,000 at the Board of Education’s September 23 meeting. The Innovation Competition is a STEM-(Science, Technology, Math, …

Board of Education candidates who showed up for the event responded to four questions. Six of the nine candidates for the Board of Education tried to put their best foot forward September 29 during a “Meet the Candidates” virtual event. The event was sponsored by the Franklin Township PTO Presidents’ Council and the Franklin Township Women’s Club. The candidates were …

Schools Superintendent John Ravally said that about 1,100 staff members had returned surveys about their vaccination status. School district officials estimate that about 150 of its staff members have not been vaccinated against Covid-19. Those teachers and staff members have until October 18 to get vaccinated, under an executive order issued by Governor Phil Murphy. If they do not get …

Jared Sheffrin and Nikki Tatum are the school district’s newest vice principals. Vice principals for Hillcrest School and the Road To Success Program, and Franklin Middle School – Sampson G. Smith campus, were appointed August 26 by the Board of Education. Nikki Tatum will leave her dual position as vice principal at Claremont and Franklin Park elementary schools to take …

District and school administrators took part in an August 23 webinar about the start of the school year. Student work loads this school year will generally be the same as they were before the Covid-19 pandemic, although students will work more independently, rather than in groups. Also, school buses will top off at about 40 students per trip, as a …

Approximately 48 percent of the school district’s teachers, administrators and support staff have self-reported that they have been vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus, a district official said on August 20. Of the 666 people who responded to a district survey – which was sent to 1,250 teachers, administrators and support staff – 604 of them reported being vaccinated against the …

Nine people, including two incumbents, are running for three open Board of Education seats in the November election. The incumbents running to retain their seats are Laurie Merris of Wilson Road and Pat Stanley of Hudson Court. Current school board member Ed Potosnak, whose term also expires at the end of the year, is running for Township Council on the …

Torrie Rumph-Hurd is the new principal of Franklin Middle School – Hamilton Street campus. A veteran district administrator was named as the new principal for Franklin Middle School – Hamilton Street Campus, at the Board of Education’s July 22 meeting. Torrie Rumph-Hurd was named to fill the position vacated by Nicholas Solomon, who last month was named as the new …

Lanise Stevens of Johns Hopkins University speaks to Board of Education members at the July 15 meeting. Continuing to protect students and staff against Covid-19 and eliminate “systemic racism and lingering white supremacy” from the district are two of the goals set July 15 by the Board of Education. The Board meets each July to review progress on goals during …