Schools / Kids

From SEPAC SOMA: The South Orange-Maplewood Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC SOMA) is…

From the Columbia High School HSA: The CHS class of ’24 entered high school…

From the South Orange Maplewood Board of Education: MEETING CANCELED Special Executive Session April…

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“This is what we live for,” said one student. Another said cuts to music & arts would inequitably impact students unable to fund private lessons.

Student rep Asa Glassman said when asked what could be improved at CHS, Pedro noted “the importance of a culture of excellence that Columbia seems to be lacking” and that little things like holes in the walls, dilapidated ceilings and messy posters around the school “contribute to the slow erosion of a climate of success at a school like ours.”

18 positions will be cut through attrition; 10 employees will be fired. The budget also entails a 35% reduction for materials and textbooks, applied evenly across departments.

Attorney says he has been conducting his own investigation into an incident between Frank Sanchez and a student and will be delivering the results to the prosecutor’s office shortly.

With the BOE set to vote on April 25, a district spokesperson has stated that cuts — including a potential loss of 30-40 staffers — are still under discussion with the goal of applying cuts equitably across all departments.

A $100K benefit to the SOMSD property in Maplewood, negotiated with the developer of The Gleason, is set to expire in May if the Board of Ed does not act.