Dr. Thomas Ficarra

South Orange-Maplewood Director of Communications Leaving School District April 1

The South Orange-Maplewood School District will see more administrative change this year as its director of communications is stepping down to relocate with her family.…

South Orange-Maplewood District Purchasing GPS Devices & Systems for Buses

After a snowstorm stranded children on school buses for hours in South Orange and Maplewood last month (and paralyzed travel throughout the region), the school…

After Delays, South Orange-Maplewood to Address Inequities in Discipline for Students of Color & With Disabilities

In its last meeting of 2018, South Orange-Maplewood School District administrators addressed long-awaited revisions to the district’s Code of Conduct policy that were initially proposed…

South Orange-Maplewood Board of School Estimate to Hold Informal Workshop on $140M School District Plan Dec 6

The South Orange-Maplewood Board of School Estimate will begin the process of considering a tax levy to pay for a proposed $140 million Long Range…

Lembrich: Support for Long Range Facilities Plan & School Desegregation Is Moral Imperative for SOMA Community

The following is from Greg Lembrich, Maplewood Township Committee member. On Thursday night I will proudly join my colleagues from the Maplewood Township Committee, South…

Ficarra: SOMSD Staff Showed Dedication, Resourcefulness as ‘Extraordinary’ Storm Stranded Students

The following letter was emailed by South Orange-Maplewood Interim Superintendent Dr. Thomas Ficarra to the SOMSD community on Saturday evening: Dear SOMSD Families and Staff,…

Bowing to Community Feedback, Ficarra Offers Scaled-Down School Reconfiguration Plan

After listening to feedback from around 1,000 community members who attended meetings detailing an ambitious $130 million long-range plan to repair, expand and integrate its…

South Orange-Maplewood School District Posts Online Survey, Forum Dates to Guide Superintendent Search

From the South Orange-Maplewood School District (SOMSD): Dear SOMSD Community, In August 2018, the SOMSD Board of Education launched the search for our District’s next…

New Seth Boyden Leadership Team Is Complete With Sheila Murphy Named Assistant Principal

When Sheila Murphy was introduced as the new Vice Principal of Seth Boyden Demonstration School at the September 17, 2018 South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education…

South Orange-Maplewood District Details Impact of $1.4M Preschool Expansion Grant

A $1.422 Million grant obtained by the South Orange-Maplewood School District to expand preschool could ultimately lead to universal pre-K — bringing free preschool education…