South Orange – Maplewood Board of Education

“We’re gonna have to be lean moving forward,” said Supt. Jason Bing. “We cannot predict what’s going to happen with federal funding. We can take a guesstimate that we’ll receive flat state funding for the remainder of the run of this formula. … there’s a lot of different factors out there, but we have to be prudent.”

School district staff have been working to close a $4M budget gap for the 2025-26 FY — despite a 6% increase in state aid over last year’s allocation.

Liz Callahan said her goal as chair of the BOE’s Special Education committee moving forward was “to remain committed to ensuring that students and teachers are at the heart of these discussions while supporting the district in intentional, well-structured planning that does reflect the evolving educational landscape.”

Mazzocchi, CHS Class of 1991, has led the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University, Kinhaven Music School in Vermont, and now the Kaufman Music Center in New York City.

Meanwhile, the school district reported that Black student enrollment fell in the district overall, and the Board of Ed voiced its continued support for Integration, Access & Equity.

Former Maplewood Mayor Fred Profeta to the Board: “We want to make sure that the solution fits the problem. We don’t want to over regulate, we don’t want to under regulate. We like to get it just right to the extent possible.”

The next two Community Conversations with Superintendent Jason Bing will take place on February 6 and 25. (Bing will also be meeting residents at the Hilton Neighborhood Association meeting on Jan. 16.)

Each of the three departing South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education members — President Dr.…

“Again, I ask: What is the power of a board? It is to ensure that the actions of bad actors do not stymie the progress of our school district. This also underscores the immense power of a school board: while we can support growth, we also have the potential to thwart progress. That is a sobering reality and a responsibility we must never take lightly.”  

“Public service is rewarding, and I strongly recommend it to everyone in our two towns. We can only improve when we all work together, especially for our children. I wish the best to the students, teachers, administrators, and the incoming and continuing board members. Parents, stay involved.”