District Calendar, Student Achievement Among Moorestown BOE Updates

March was a hectic month for the school district and the Board of Education. While a lot of attention was placed on the budget, there are many other updates from the board, including the approval of the 2014-2015 district calendar and recognition of outstanding student achievement. 

At the March monthly board meeting, many students were recognized for outstanding academic achievements. Students excelled in the Math Counts Competition and Math League Competition, and Kaitlyn Levinson was recognized for winning the Barnes and Nobel Favorite Teacher Contest.  In addition, I would like to congratulate the students involved with the Robotics Team for outstanding performance in recent competitions.

The 2014-2015 school calendar was approved by the Board of Education. A change made this year is the use of President’s Day as a makeup day if a school emergency closing occurs on or before January 15. 

A copy of the calendar is available at www.mtps.com. The policy committee noted that changes were made to the Animals on School Property policy previously discussed, and that it will be discussed and potentially voted on at the April Board Meeting.

The Board heard from many concerned residents, staff, and students during the month in regards to the 2014-2015 budget. An initial budget was approved (7-2) and submitted to the county office for review. This budget would increase taxes by $141 for the average assessed home, includes a Pay to Play Fee, and utilizes banked cap. 

It is important to note that this was an initial budget vote, and the budget may be changed before a final vote is taken. A final board vote on the budget is tentatively scheduled for April 29, but a confirmed date will be advertised in the near future.

Additional public comment on the budget is welcomed at the April 8 meeting. The Board’s Alternative Revenue Generation Committee met twice in March. The committee consists of board members, staff, and parents. The full budget and past budget presentations are available on the district homepage. 

The Moorestown Special Education Advocacy Council (SpEAC) will be hosting its annual conference April 12, and you can still register at www.moorestownspeac.com.

Home and School will host a fundraiser on April 9 at Cosi, Panceros, and Toppings, located in Dearborn Circle Village, Mount Laurel. Please remember that Spring Break has been shortened due to weather closings, and an updated calendar is available on the district website. 

The next regular board of education meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 8 at 7:30 pm, in the William Allen Middle School media center.

As always, do not hesitate to reach out to either the board as a whole, or myself, if you have any questions or need anything. I would be delighted to hear from you, and I hope to see you at a future meeting. 

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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.