Dr. Kevin Gilbert

“We talked to a lot of adults, we talked to a lot of people who are supposed to defend me, protect me. And it’s confusing to me,” said the student. “They’re supposed to protect me and defend me from people trying to hurt me and people attempting to assault me. And they didn’t do that.”

Meanwhile, questions remain about a second invoice for scheduling services.

The Board also discussed communications — both within the Board and to the public — regarding the hiring of a scheduling consultant.

The news comes as some CHS parents are reporting issues with students’ schedules.

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.

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.

On Tuesday afternoon, March 12, South Orange-Maplewood Acting Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kevin Gilbert…

“As a district, we have spent countless hours working with groups and individuals to help us bring the type of nurturing environment that our community has demanded. I am keenly aware that this incident has damaged those efforts.”

The Board of Education approved an increase to $175/day for short-term & $200/day for long-term substitutes. The new rate went into effect March 1.

Meanwhile, Maplewood police report: “Officers were able to locate students from another area high school a few blocks away. The students’ parents and schools were contacted and the juveniles were ultimately turned over to family members.”