THE BRAVE NEWSthe Newton Public Schools Quarterly Newsletter

July 2016

Board of Education57 Trinity StreetNewton, NJ 07860

973-383-7392

www.newtonnj.org

Dr. G. Kennedy GreeneSuperintendent

Donna C. SnyderBusiness Administrator/

Board Secretary

Jeff Waldron, PrincipalNewton High School

Kristi Greene, PrincipalHalsted Middle School

Kevin Stanton, PrincipalMerriam Avenue School

INSIDE2. Spotlight on Newton

High School2. Fair School Funding3. NHS Graduates3. BOE Members

Recognized by NJSBA4. Project Launch

www.facebook.com/newtonnjschools

On Tuesday, June 14th under clear skies, warm sunshine and with a soft breeze, 180 Newton High School seniors, along with their families and friends, gathered to celebrate the commencement of the class of 2016. Paige Ewing, Rose Ippolito, and Andrew Caragher delivered commencement addresses centered on the graduation theme, a quote by Abraham Lincoln, “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” Hannah Ervey was recognized as the class valedictorian and Rose Ippolito as the salutatorian. We wish all of our 2016 graduates good health, success and happiness.

The Newton Board of Education approved a strategic school facilities plan at its meeting on June 28, 2016, culminating a year’s worth of discussion, planning, and public input gathering. The purpose of the plan is to guide the district’s facilities improvement efforts over the coming years. Key points of consensus reached by the Board include:

• The Halsted Street School is not part of our future plans as a school facility. Concerns were expressed about the cost to maintain the facility for non-school use — offices, community center, special programs, etc.

• A new middle school should be constructed on the West End Avenue property. District and CST offices should be planned for the new school or as part of a small addition at Merriam.

• A community schools model, which includes space for health and social service providers inside the schools, will be studied in order to inform facility design.

The following action steps are proposed:1. Gather information to sharpen the plan by August 2016 (specific data requested below)

a. Halsted - get appraisal of the property value; clarify its zoning status; begin to identify potential buyers; estimate ongoing maintenance costs

NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2016

BOE Approves Strategic School facilities Plan

(Cont’d on page 4)

ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Science League 2016 HighlightsBiology 1-2nd Place, Biology 2-2nd Place, Chemistry 1-2nd Place, Chemistry 2-3rd Place, Physics C-2nd Place, Environmental Science-1st Place

• National FFA ConventionFFA member Gaby Guerriero won first place in the FFA Creed Public Speaking Competition at the 87th NJ State FFA Convention. Gaby beat 10 other FFA com-petitors to earn the privilege of competing in the Creed Competition next October at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Spotlight onNewton High School

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Higher Education Goalsof the Class of 2016

Newton Residents Support Fair School Funding

• 158 of 180 (87%) plan to attend college

• 4 students plan to attend technical or business schools

• 7 students plan to enter the Military

• 14 students have other plans or are undecided

FINANCIAL AID EARNED BY THE CLASS OF 2016

College scholarships, loans, work study, local scholarships and other monies for colleges/universities attending and not attending: $5,334,964

athletic accomplishments• Field Hockey

• Colonial Division Champions• Mugs Media Team of the Year• Mugs Media Coach of the Year• Mugs Media Player of the Year- Nikki Rizzo• NJ Herald Team of the Year• North 1 Group 1 Sectional

Champions• Girls Soccer

• Colonial Division Champions• Mugs Media Coach of the Year

• Girls Soccer (cont’d)

• NJ Herald Coach of the Year• Girls Track

• Colonial Division Champions

• Boys Soccer• Colonial Division Champions• Mugs Media Team of the Year• NJ Herald Player of the Year- Alejandro Patino Correa

• Cross Country• NJ Herald Coach of the Year

• Boys Baseball• Colonial Division Champions• NJ Herald Coach of the Year

• Boys Swimming• NJ Herald Team of the Year• Divisional Champions• 4 NJ State Meet Qualifiers

• Boys Basketball• Colonial Division Champions

• Golf• Tyler Wilson H/W/S MVP

At Newton Day on June 11, 2016, the Board of Education received 132 signed letters of support to address the unequal distribution of state aid to schools. Those letters were delivered to our state legislators in the 24th District office in mid-June. Some high-lights from the letters include:

• It is clear the State of New Jersey has many problems needing attention, but the quality of life in our communities is directly linked to the quality of our schools. Taxpayers expect their legislators to distribute state aid in an equitable way to support adequate school budgets and fair local taxes.

• The current distribution of state aid is in direct contradic-tion to the stated intent of the funding law. For the 2016-17 school year, 209 of the state’s 591 school districts are project-ed to receive more than 100% of their calculated aid, while 240 others will receive less than 70% of theirs. Most of the overfunding is done through the mechanism of Adjustment

Aid, in the amount of $566 million. The funding formula became law in 2008: school districts must adjust to the fiscal realities we face today and for the foreseeable future.

• A related problem is that many municipalities contribute more than their fair share of the school budget through the local tax levy, while others provide much less than theirs. If communities choose to pay higher taxes to support a more than adequate budget, then that is their right consistent with the standard of local control. However, 123 municipalities are projected to contribute less than 70% of their local fair share next year, and over one-third of them (48) will receive more than the full amount of state aid they are due. Why should the State provide more than 100% of a school dis-trict’s calculated state aid, especially when that community contributes far less than its local fair share?

• Fifty-five school districts in New Jersey (including Newton)

(Cont’d on page 4)

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NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL Class of 2016Nicholas George AdamsMicaela Nicole AguileraAmanda Frances AlessandraAaron Anane-AgyeiOrion Nathanael AvilesDeanna Jenna AyresAllison Helene BaileyCameron Stewart BaileyTimothy Jack BatyShannon Christine BaumanJade Theresa BilottiRobert Parker BorgognoniJulianne BoveKristie Elizabeth BowmanJames Patterson Brannick, Jr.Ryan Dean BriggsShane Alan BriggsLogan BrondoGabrielle Marie BrownFrancesca Marie BurttAndrew Thomas CaragherNicholas Vito Ciavarro Jordan Alexis CoiroAndrew Joseph CooneyAndrew Sebastian CostabelReanne Druscilla CovingtonRaymond Junior CruzWalter Levi CurrentThomas James DeckerJason Patrick DeClesisTyler Susan De HopeTyler Anthony DeJesusJames Thom Clancy DellagiacomaGavin Edward DeYoungChristopher Silas DionneShane Edward DobaczewskiBenjamin Michael DochertyAnthony Vincent DonatelliTristan Taylor DunnCasey Troy Sy DuranHannah Rose ErveyLily Ann EstevezTanner Jordan EustonPaige Reneé Ewing Robert Wesley Fehr, Jr.

Brandon Antonio FernandesKimberlee Rose FerriJarrod Michael FinleyLance Ryan FischerMatthew Edward FrancisSydney Marie FucitoJennifer Brittany GaughranMorissa Anne GaughranSkyla Mae GilesThomas Robert GiordanoKyra Elisabeth GrünwaldBraxton Demetrius HamJustin Thomas HattersleyWilliam Joseph Hedgepeth, Jr.Emma Dawne HesseAdrianna Nycole HickeyPatrick James HildRyan Scott HolzhauerSarah Emily HoslerBradford Scott HowieTravis Pierson HowieRose Ethel IppolitoRoman Marcel IvaldiJuliet Eleanor JohnsonArielle Vanessa KambyRachel Marie KaphanLukas Daniel KellenbergerHasdrede Kengne TeneSilas Garrett KentAnna Beth KingJacob Christian KolzowMarissa Italia KraemerAngelya Theresa LarsenMicayah Hassana LatimerAmanda Margaret LawrenceRyan William LazarJohn Paul LipertMichael Francis LipertJoshua Michael LopezYesi Heidy Lopez EspinobarrosSarah Katherine LouglasAva Marie LovelandJohn Thomas LynchXiomara Alejandra Macias Cevallos

Jonah William MalveyGwen Elizabeth Manley-MullerJustin Michael MarinBrian Francis MasiMcKenzie Suzanne MayCaitlyn Laura McAdamsJohn Joseph McDanielKaila Jane McGuireLisa Marie McPeakDaniel Valerio MendesEmily MercadoAaron David MeredithDavid Lamont Mobley, Jr.Devan Clayton MullBrianna Hope MurrayMaria Alexis NepaKyra Jessica Alexandra NixonBriana Marie NormanKathryn Patricia O’BrienTimothy Terence O’BrienPatrick Michael O’DohertySamantha Taylor OwensSamuel Ezra PaparellaRachel Nicole ParkerAlejandro Patiño Correa Nicholas Craig PattersonJordan Lynne PavlishinLara Rose PennellJace PerezAlyssa Jade PetryTyler Michael PittengerStephen F. PlafcanRyan Thomas QuentzRyan David RazzanoEthan Michael ReczkaAnthony Deandre ReedAshley Taylor ReimerBrandon Charles RobbinsAlanis RodriguezKevin Anthony RodriquezJustin William RothsteinNicholas Leonard SalvatoreAdam Robert SchlerethFaith Destiny ScottZan N. Siddiqui

Kevin Alexander Sosa RuizAlexander Joseph SpinaCorinne Alexandra SpinaJason Tyler StahlKyler Richard SteeleHannah Ellen StobieCrystal Ann StormesRandall Howard StrubleShelby Lynn StungerElysa Victoria TaylorJack Connor ThielGrace Elizabeth ThuenDaniel John TietjeZachary Taylor TomoryDanelle TracyJose Guillermo Urena MongeGabriel Sam Camacho UyMichael Joseph ValentineCole Edward Van LuvenderAlexandra Elizabeth VanderMaasAlexander Scott VanNessTyler James WattersTimothy Richard WaymanEmily Margaret WeissOlivia Mae WeissMadison Elizabeth WellsBailee Alexis WelshEmily Anne WeltnerSamir Terrell WheelerBeth-Ann Myung WhiteheadGregory Scott Whitehead, Jr.Kirsten Myung WhiteheadKoty Andrew WilkinsonJayce Max WilliamsKelsie Lorraine Williams Shannon Rose WilliamsVanessa Belle WintermuteJake Pasquale WittigJordan Catherine WoodMichael Paul WoodrowMiriam Bianca Wright-BrownBriana Marie WulffersBrian ZakrzewskiNicholas DeMeo ZaremskiJoshua Thomas Ziegler

Newton Board President Stella Dunn was rec-ognized as a Master Board Member. Criteria for this level of recognition in addition to already being a Certified Board Member are to: earn a cumulative total of forty credits of board member core training; attend academy programs in seven different core areas; attend at least eight county meetings; attend at least two delegate assemblies; attend at least two annual

NJSBA Workshops; attend at least one full-day statewide program; and may not have been judged to have violated the School Ethics Act.

Newton Board Member Joan Faye was recognized as a Certified Board Member. Criteria for this level of certification are to: accumulate at least 20 credits of board member core training; attend at least four county meetings; attend at least one annual NJSBA Workshop; attend at least one NJSBA Delegate Assembly; complete at least one term on their local board; and may not have been judged to have violated the School Ethics Act.

Newton Board Members Recognized by the New Jersey School Boards AssociationAt its final meeting of the school year, the Sussex County School Boards Association hosted officials from the state organization, including Executive Director Dr. Lawrence Feinsod, who presented certification awards to individual board members.

Non-profitOrganizationUS Postage

PAIDSparta, NJ

Permit No. 48

NEWTON BOARD OF EDUCATION 57 Trinity StreetNewton, New Jersey 07860 973-383-7392

Board of EducationStella Dunn, PresidentJessica Egner, Vice PresidentEd CaffreyAnn Marie CookeMichael FancherCharles FantasiaJoan FayeGuilene HamJohn JacksonTina LarsenRay Morris

POSTALPATRON

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b. West End - confirm site capacity to determine how many grades can/should be housed; conduct feasibility study; research green school construction

c. Merriam - determine whether there is need for a small addition to accommodate additional students; research possibility of driveway from Trenton Place to Gardner Avenue and other traffic/parking options

d. High School - get survey of adjacent properties on one document

e. Board Office - get appraisal of the property valuef. Enrollment - update enrollment projections based on live

countsg. Financing - determine debt service capacity; identify refer-

endum options; determine actual total cost, cost to Newton taxpayers, and costs to sending districts for high school portion

2. Develop a Newton community schools model by January 20173. Confirm actual costs for identified facilities projects by March

2017 4. Select projects that fit within an approved budget by June 20175. Propose referendum for selected facilities projects by August

20176. Begin facilities construction within one year following a suc-

cessful referendum

The complete Plan can be found on the district website on the Facilities Plan page under the Board of Education tab. The Board looks forward to ongoing public input and participation as imple-mentation of the Plan unfolds.

School Facilities Plan (Cont’d from page 1)

are in a truly distressing situation.

■ They have tax levies above 100% of their local fair share;

■ They have budgets the state considers inade-quate; and

■ They will receive less than 70% of their state aid.

• The options for these districts are unreasonably high local taxes or an inadequate school budget: that’s a choice no community should be forced to make, es-pecially when the State has the means to address the problem.

The Board of Education passed a resolution on June 28 with the same sentiments. For real time information on School Funding Fairness including the letter for those wishing to add your support, visit our webpage at http://newton.innersync.com/superintendent/School-Funding.cfm. Please return signed letters to the District Office at 57 Trinity Street. Hard copies are available there as well.

Fair School Funding (Cont’d from page 2)

Project Launch Newton is an afterschool enrich-

ment program provided through a partnership with Project Self-Sufficiency and Newton School District. This program is free of charge to children attending 4th- 8th grades in the Newton School District. Program information is also available at www.project-launchnewton.org.