Board of Education

A resolution calling for a temporary moratorium on expanding existing or creating new charter schools in Somerset and Middlesex counties sparked a heated debate at the Jan. 26 Board of Education meeting. The measure was supported by all board members in attendance, save Pat Stanley, who mounted a spirited argument against it. The resolution, which board president Ed Potosnak said was …

Games and crafts were the order of the day Jan. 26 when a group of MacAfee Road School 4th Graders visited residents at Spring Hills Somerset assisted living facility. The 30 students, their teacher – Alyson Samarel – an some aides brought floor hockey, bowling and other games, as well as some craft projects, to the residents for about two hours …

School district substitute nurses will receive an 82 percent pay hike in 2017, in a move that district officials say will save money in the long-run. The substitute nurses’ per day rate will be increased from the current $110 to $200. The Board of Education approved the increase at its Dec. 22 meeting. The board took the action in an …

Updates on a number of construction projects connected with the “One Less Move” referendum were given at the Dec. 22 Board OF Education meeting. The updates were provided by board member Christine Danielsen in her facilities committee report. Following are the updates Danielsen gave in her report: At Elizabeth Avenue School, site work is continuing, the footings for the new …

  What started as an idea more than seven years ago came to fruition Dec. 2, with the groundbreaking for the Claremont Road Elementary School. School district and township officials, district principals and others gathered on a somewhat muddy field to witness the event, set to the backdrop of ground-clearing equipment moving in the distance. The school was the keystone …

A Tinton Falls-based construction company won the $36.3 million contract to build the Claremont Elementary School. Patock Construction was awarded the bid by the Board of Education in a Sept. 29 special meeting. The school is targeted for a parcel on Claremont Road, near Franklin Park School. Patock was one of 13 companies that bid on the project. Patrick’s base bid of …

Despite some boisterous objections from parents and students, the Board of Education Sept. 22 adopted a policy modification banning charter school students from participating in district athletic programs. The modification passed 6-2, with board members Richard Seamon and Pat Stanley casting the only “no” votes. The ban affects students attending the township’s two current charter schools, the Thomas Edison EnergySmart …

Franklin Township schools stand to receive significantly more state aid if Gov. Chris Christie’s plan to revamp school funding becomes law. Although exact figures are not yet available, the district could see somewhere between a 200 percent and 300 percent increase in the amount of state aid it receives. Further, a web site created by the governor’s office calculates that the …

A 15-year district veteran has been named its new director of athletics. Ken Margolin, who for the past year has been the Franklin High School vice principal, was unanimously named to the post by the Board of Education at its May 26 meeting. Margolin has also served as the school’s dean of students and for 10 years was employed in …

Update: The Board of Education adopted the 2016-17 budget at its April 28 meeting. Original Story: Upward revisions in the assessed valuation of township property has nearly halved the tax increase originally called for in the 2016-17 Board of Education budget. The proposed $163.2 million budget, which was sent for review to the Somerset County Superintendent of Schools on March 22, …