[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6527745,"mediaKeyId","3534942-88fce4ac648d00aa71107faa8d5acdb7","parentId",3534942,"title","Board adopts NJSBA policy package and tightens attendance rules; public raises library and gender‑identity policy concerns","audioSeconds",297,"startMs",6852000,"endMs",7149000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3534942-88fce4ac648d00aa71107faa8d5acdb7&start=6852&end=7149","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3534942-88fce4ac648d00aa71107faa8d5acdb7/thumbnail_6852000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6527745/New-Jersey/Board-adopts-NJSBA-policy-package-and-tightens-attendance-rules-public-raises-library-and-genderidentity-policy-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527745-f4d2fb7a588c26a78ef9b0d554fea628/orig.mp4?Expires=1771052892&Signature=n~8EP2BjbKuNUYQhco0uOw9bUUZrHnZkipsPSMeIUZyPO5A8BleypeUj3STC~rcCFYfQAMTEOONwSUH4dk5Uh7H91tqhCVC5OaHRZ7axhESz7LAsglspoYVq5cwm8Lf4LOevglCoPzoRWN9e9kTkEbFVIQ3PQI~5zNNZADG0rLx0pEiPjvxOQJ1BtuI1yyimK8jNAHsqfwyIIxC0xj-rBsNWXbCf28gkF5BLZflAUZCSIU5ZT~XXHvz3yIlZaZ8QVjAFoVEzDcJfk5DNKeHdePEK5WORhmp5thKI0cRQiHgB9H-h1h4gPvauf~YJq8pbRxgdOoGw26M-3rGuB4NXYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School Dist","date","2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","article","The North Hunterdon‑Voorhees Board of Education moved forward May 27 with adoption of the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) policy manual and a revised attendance policy intended to address chronic absenteeism.

Policy committee members said the district is transitioning to the NJSBA manual and that most language is model policy language; the committee recommended at the May 19 meeting that the full manual be presented for first reading at the May meeting and for second reading and formal adoption in June/July. Committee members and administration emphasized there will be opportunities to review individual policies and tailor discretionary samples with board counsel before final adoption.

A substantive change drew attention: the revised attendance policy increases the number of unexcused absences that trigger loss of credit for a full‑year course from 12 to 16 (eight for a half‑year course). The committee report explained the change was paired with stronger documentation requirements for medical absences and earlier parent notification points (at 4, 7 and 10 absences) to trigger remediation plans. As a committee member summarized, the policy was \"revised to better support the goal of lowering our chronic absentee numbers\" and included additional documentation for medical absences.

Trustees approved the policy package items on the consent agenda and specifically approved the revised attendance policy (agenda item 13.1). One trustee recorded an abstention on one subsection during the roll call.

The public comment period included multiple speakers who urged careful review of several sample policies in the NJSBA manual. Amy Barrett, a Highbridge resident, urged the board to consult its attorney before adopting sample discretionary policies governing library resources and gender identity. Barrett argued that the NJSBA language for library materials and complaints was \"vague\" compared with the district’s existing policy, which includes book‑selection and reconsideration criteria. About the gender‑identity sample, Barrett said the NJSBA version \"obfuscates the student‑centered approach\" and warned that changing language about parental notification and restroom access without careful revision could raise legal compliance and safety issues.

Another speaker, Jennifer Cusack, said outing students can endanger them and stressed that policy changes should not put vulnerable students at risk.

Why it matters: adopting a model policy manual is a common board practice to standardize compliance; however, public commenters and trustees urged caution in adopting discretionary sample language without local edits and attorney review, particularly for library reconsideration procedures and gender‑identity guidance. The attendance‑policy change is intended to balance greater documentation expectations with more initial latitude for excused absences, while formalizing earlier parent outreach to prevent credit loss.

What the board asked for next: administration and the policy committee will review sample discretionary policies with the board attorney and return with recommended local edits and a timeline for final adoption. The revised attendance policy will be communicated to families before the next school year.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","NHV BOE Meeting - 05/27/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Trustees moved to adopt the New Jersey School Boards Association model policy manual and adopted a revised attendance policy that raises the unexcused‑absence threshold for loss of credit; public commenters urged retention of more specific local library/materials procedures and clearer gender‑identity guidance.","taxTitle","North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, School Districts, New Jersey","taxId",72668,"location","New Jersey","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6527748,"Board approves four‑firm legal team after contested ad hoc selection; some trustees cite process concerns",2063,9561000,11624000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3534942-88fce4ac648d00aa71107faa8d5acdb7&start=9561&end=11624","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3534942-88fce4ac648d00aa71107faa8d5acdb7/thumbnail_9561000.jpg","/articles/6527748/New-Jersey/Board-approves-fourfirm-legal-team-after-contested-ad-hoc-selection-some-trustees-cite-process-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527748-528d029947181df7fb01a85b606e603f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771052892&Signature=JTDhtk3ff9H6QSed~m-ETCEn3U9iyfFHhQi6Xvn5aZ9YdAnkMdCjeYosthLJJR8fYbblYhmviIPQ14clv-r4oYp5qnCXNBDgS-6aO3KgcnGXqPN76~OaADcTZE7KxY2TNEBie5XLmNQFu9ic-rzJHroQDrjgiIb-n1oauPTPtehpD2rOtX3yvpQ93cLK8E8BR~7gipbWuW~gZYNYBrZEnxgVi3bvyG2WmP8ebHZhmtUd5SLpmTIyw0VgFAWGJD99r11fL2s1YwH-gp9ma4Jj0Pe5LqXNcpZuzJJmf26rT2rNuEASn1PMuRsxZc-A0xmouqixy3O2QNFnKTAcV9OHKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The North Hunterdon‑Voorhees Board of Education voted May 27 to contract with a diversified set of law firms after an ad hoc legal‑services review and interviews. The board approved a slate that names firms for lead/general counsel, special education, labor/employment, and special counsel roles.

The ad hoc legal‑services committee — formed earlier this spring and chaired by a board member — solicited requests for proposals, scored submissions, conducted interviews and recommended a ‘‘diversified strategic legal services structure’’ that the committee said would provide specialized expertise across the district’s legal needs. The recommendation listed: DeFrancesco Bateman (general counsel); Schenck, Price, Smith & King LLP (special education counsel); Cleary, Jacoby & Alfieri LLC (labor and employment counsel); and The Bush Law Group LLC (special counsel).

The board approved the contracts as a block. The motion carried, with a majority voting to adopt agenda items 14.1–14.17; the record includes at least one recorded “no” and at least one abstention on a single item (14.11) and one board member explicitly stated a selective “no” on that line item during the vote.

Several trustees and members of the public challenged aspects of the ad hoc committee’s process. Multiple board members said they learned of the finalized recommendation only after the packet was circulated and asked why the committee’s final report and its scoring results were not posted earlier or summarized in committee meetings for the full board. The ad hoc chair and committee members said the RFPs, interview questions and supporting materials were uploaded to the board resource drive during the review and that the committee had solicited feedback from the board during the process. The chair described a multi‑stage evaluation — pre‑interview scoring of proposals, then interviews and notes — and said committee members took detailed notes and collectively selected the recommended firms.

Public commenters also raised related governance concerns. A Franklin Township resident told the board she was \"deeply disappointed and concerned\" about the board president’s formation of an ad hoc committee without disclosing its membership and accused the president of using an unresolved ethics complaint against other members in public remarks. A member of the public responded that the underlying ethics process was pending and resided with the appropriate state body; the board solicitor later reminded speakers about confidentiality of pending ethics matters and warned against defamatory remarks.

Why it matters: the board moves from a model that had relied on a smaller number of firms to a multi‑firm approach intended to reduce overreliance on a single counsel by assigning specialties (special education, labor, etc.). Trustees said the structure should speed responses and provide specialty counsel when cases require technical expertise. Several members, however, said the district would be better served by more transparency about how interview scores and reference checks produced the final recommendation.

What the board asked for next: trustees asked the administration to ensure the final contracts match the fee and staffing representations set out in the proposals, and several trustees requested the committee’s scoring matrix and interview notes be summarized for the record. The committee said it would provide those materials as allowable under procurement and personnel confidentiality rules.","The board voted to award contracts to four law firms for distinct legal roles after an ad hoc RFP and interview process. Several trustees criticized the timing and disclosure of the ad hoc committee’s report; public commenters also raised concerns about a separately reported ethics complaint and board transparency.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6527753,"Demographer: district enrollment to dip for several years before modest rebound",1687,1322000,3009000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3534942-88fce4ac648d00aa71107faa8d5acdb7&start=1322&end=3009","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3534942-88fce4ac648d00aa71107faa8d5acdb7/thumbnail_1322000.jpg","/articles/6527753/New-Jersey/Demographer-district-enrollment-to-dip-for-several-years-before-modest-rebound","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6527753-85b756b84bb2ff3cb121592182732cc4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771052892&Signature=M91VmsUaubE9NpXYSpVTlhWWCV15GfLziWUIQE4MKj-vfKJuPLwATUjPJNLCJudGE0sAinx9ibxWf2MdtiM~58ha35MQpeFOuPqXfuH-lsYBpW6JSQ6ojGrJ-6XfazWfELgv-JjVDdRbjBnuAhcYd1IKlGcSVU9pt9SrLg2a7NushOTKeg2qCiZZiaG2PvF6hwqxB5KAgCnNeavm7HxGG0PVw7-JDNbihvs4ZXsMM89d4NXb7OWgCSJtdTIeko4tQAslB7mg8Ov5gDOsF2Y-Ks~7-fzEazsgSS2BqXAFzk30kvLjgl7bVtVxYXqqu40IKrWjeNTzSVmW4pb0QuavmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","North Hunterdon‑Voorhees Regional High School District trustees heard a demographic forecast at their May 27 meeting showing projected declines in high‑school enrollment for the next three to four years before a slow reversal driven by higher pre‑K–8 cohorts.

Richard Gripp, the presenter, told the board his team modeled two five‑year projections and found modest declines under both scenarios. \"We're projecting for a five‑year period,\" he said, explaining that a baseline projection showed a decline of about 38 students across the district over the next five years, while an alternative that assumes all proposed housing improvement is built showed a smaller decline — roughly 17 students.

The study traces 10 years of October count data and estimates that the district saw about a 300‑student increase in the pre‑K–8 population over the last four years, which will “eventually, those higher PK counts will move up from the high school and cause this declining enrollment to end,” Gripp said. He noted the district currently has substantial surplus capacity in both high‑school buildings under present enrollment and the projections presented.

Board members pressed Gripp for more context. One asked how the projected declines compare with the historical drops the district has already experienced; Gripp replied the near‑term declines are smaller, on a prorated basis, than the largest historic declines and framed the next several years as a potential \"bottoming out\" before enrollment stabilizes. Another member asked whether the reversal, when it occurs, is likely to be a rapid uptick or a gradual increase; Gripp replied that reversals typically include a few years of stability followed by gradual gains dependent on local community growth and housing activity.

Board members and presenters also discussed implications for capacity planning and the new Polytech/program building. Trustees noted that vocational/academy programs bring many out‑of‑district students (roughly a 50/50 split reported for some academies), and Gripp said the district’s projections account for students who live in the district footprint but do not include nonresident academy students except as they appear in the district’s enrollment counts.

Why it matters: the forecast will inform staffing, program and facilities planning as trustees finalize budgets and consider long‑range facilities decisions. The report was a presentation only; the board did not take formal action on the study during the meeting but directed continued review in committee and follow‑up with district staff.

Board members requested the full presentation and the underlying spreadsheets; Gripp said he would share the slides and data with the district.","A demographic study presented May 27 projects a districtwide enrollment decline over the next four years, with elementary counts showing recent growth that should eventually raise high‑school enrollment; board members pressed for more local-grade detail and timelines for any capacity responses.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board adopts NJSBA policy package and tightens attendance rules; public raises library and gender‑identity policy concerns

Board approves four‑firm legal team after contested ad hoc selection; some trustees cite process concerns

Demographer: district enrollment to dip for several years before modest rebound