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Schools

Community Update

June may have been a short school month and the final one of the school year, but nevertheless several exciting events took place, and there was a very hefty agenda for the June Board meeting.

First, I would like to personally congratulate each individual who graduated Moorestown High School on June 20. This was truly an exceptional class, with students moving onto military service and a wide array of colleges/universities, including Burlington County College, Rutgers University and Yale University, among many others.

At the Senior Awards Ceremony on June 11, more than 50 percent of the class received scholarships and/or honors recognition. After graduation, another very successful Project Graduation took place, with about 98 percent of students attending, along with many community volunteers.

At the June Board of Education meeting, many policies were introduced on first reading, and the board is expected to vote on them at the August meeting. These policies address social media, advertising, electronic devices, recording board meetings, and sports related injuries.

A policy I am strongly in favor of and brought forth is Policy 6163, which provides guidelines, restrictions and procedures for advertising within the district. I hope this is a direction which is further explored. Each policy can be found on the district’s website and we welcome your input.

The district’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Carole Butler, provided a very thorough overview of the MTPS School Performance Report. The full report can be found on the district’s website.

There was some surprise when the initial report was released by the state, because several performance areas were lower than expected. This was caused in part by new evaluation criteria, utilization of 2011 data, and in some areas, flawed measurement. Going forward, the district will carefully review the measurements for continual improvement. I personally believe that there is always room for improvement despite our well above-average ratings.

Two important dates to mark down for the next school year are Sept. 23 and Oct. 14. The Board of Education revised the previously approved district calendar to have both of these dates delayed openings to accommodate schedule changes. The first day of school for all students is Sept. 9, and transition day is Sept. 6 for grades K, 4, 7 and 9.

The next regular monthly meeting of the Moorestown Board of Education is Aug. 20, 2013 at 7:30 pm in the William Allen Middle School Media Center. While we may have a gap in meetings since there will not be one in July, do not hesitate to reach out to the district if you need anything or have any concerns. Enjoy the summer and I look forward to seeing you back in August!

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.

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