[{"_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",6518727,"mediaKeyId","5386711-469c1d2fa883652d90b38549e6d714b2","parentId",5386711,"title","Roxbury board approves finance, education, policy and personnel blocks including superintendent contract","audioSeconds",1612,"startMs",6376000,"endMs",7988000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5386711-469c1d2fa883652d90b38549e6d714b2&start=6376&end=7988","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5386711-469c1d2fa883652d90b38549e6d714b2/thumbnail_6376000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6518727/New-Jersey/Roxbury-board-approves-finance-education-policy-and-personnel-blocks-including-superintendent-contract","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518727-c30a993a7ff3d1bfcf076776c591c2f2/orig.mp4?Expires=1773588229&Signature=bv~rKbXGmGRAhqimsjPRm0iUxJ~Qq3S6ajw3-c0Tr21FDATsvNclwTRFRFoWQUc9sFb2zMwVeBgeyuvcWizJ8I4bUf5niQF0Ag8W8or3JBZsCEkZlBVM9LJXqKMiSXBeE1oljDbfg0cp7Zws2g04Nq8pZl6m-bNs-dVzu8c8izksSwdoICQyz8dniSkxnMPZUYwuyEjd46gj25lZuruIUaNhgAnDOAB11o5GA2uU3hCG1CL7AKYBtepifh1O9sgmMHjP5JWD9tWMpg3omVJMui7k0iAWhvbRDh9PsjMVgRbsoBgbqVg6g108d~pkhyaFKKEe4b6DiF-eDIyeoF2oOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Roxbury Township School District","date","2025-07-15T13:08:02Z","article","The Roxbury Township Board of Education completed a slate of consent and action items at its July 14 meeting, approving grouped finance, education, policy and personnel resolutions and recording several recusals.

Finance: The board moved and passed Finance Resolutions 1 through 55 on a consolidated roll-call vote. The motion was moved by Carol and seconded by Eddie. During roll call several members recorded individual recusals on specific line items (recusal details were noted in the public roll call and minutes). The board clerk confirmed the block vote passed.

Education: The board took a separate consolidated vote on Education Resolutions 2 through 9 after the Gender Queer item was resolved; Val moved the block and Eddie seconded. The clerk recorded all members present voting in favor of Resolutions 2–9.

Policies: The board approved a first-reading revision of regulation 9130 (complaints and grievances) to extend the timeframe for challenges from one year to three years. The motion passed on roll call with one member recorded as no; counsel and members discussed the regulatory language during the policies report.

Personnel: The board approved Personnel Resolutions 1 through 29, which included acceptance of resignations and the new employment contract for Superintendent Dr. Christopher Santora. Charlotte (board member) moved Resolutions 1–29 and Val seconded; the roll call showed the block passed with a small number of recusals on named items (the clerk noted recusal on item 1 by at least one member and additional recusals listed in the minutes).

Nut graf: The consolidated votes completed routine fiscal, policy and staffing business for the district and included the board’s approval of the superintendent’s contract and multiple personnel transitions; recusals on several line items were noted and will be reflected in the official minutes.

Ending: Board members scheduled follow-up committee and policy-meeting dates and set an executive session for the August 18 meeting; the meeting adjourned after final public comments and thank-yous.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Roxbury BOE Meeting July 14, 2025 Roxbury BOE Meetings Live Stream","oneSentenceSummary","At its July 14 meeting the Roxbury Township Board of Education approved finance resolutions 1–55, education resolutions 2–9, a policies revision (regulation 9130 time frame) and personnel resolutions 1–29 (including the superintendent employment contract and acceptance of resignations); several members recused on specific items.","taxTitle","Roxbury Township School District, School Districts, New Jersey","taxId",56500,"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},6518731,"Roxbury board votes to limit access to Gender Queer, sparking heated public and member debate",966,6758000,7724000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5386711-469c1d2fa883652d90b38549e6d714b2&start=6758&end=7724","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5386711-469c1d2fa883652d90b38549e6d714b2/thumbnail_6758000.jpg","/articles/6518731/New-Jersey/Roxbury-board-votes-to-limit-access-to-Gender-Queer-sparking-heated-public-and-member-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518731-8ea382922ba2da402078a414d2ba43e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1773588229&Signature=WKf2ctOa9nowzLvgO668y8g6icJfek3csQ8XLvPRyvtr5OxGBj7TfcnbS69DxGNmvZEOyFPZdV0rZXMOSWre~SmteklHcWsb-I1GX-vHy01V069YiFCenZpxqZz~3xNlnJihVMNOki1LyT59Ltl7eVHWY2owsxt1LQwtrlwxEXR9JVT3xKE1yamKIxnwUerJHvqMr391e5NI6yWRvpOPHd~rC-2Qr8FZBKUZYBQpu95jop~1tgZQFQei5GaJjTqduleV3DGqYqI9fAYKtUcPc2TW~Vm6GVAhLQUWmmFE7fuR8j-Yx9U~yW~vGZQhHgGI1rDUATc43w0DSnj6fPnchw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Roxbury Township Board of Education voted July 14 to limit access to the book Gender Queer by placing the text behind the media center counter at the high school. The motion was made and amended to state the basis for the request: the material was “not developmentally appropriate” for the school population.

The vote followed more than an hour of board discussion and public comment. Board members and commenters debated whether moving the book behind the counter constituted a “removal from access” that triggers the district’s own policy and regulation governing challenged materials (district policy 9130 and regulation 9130).

Public commenter Annette Brooks criticized the board’s action during the public-comment period: “The superintendent should be setting the agenda, not the Board of Education,” Brooks said, and she objected to the board overriding the recommendation of the library committee and superintendent. Another speaker, Jennifer Marquez, said she opposed book bans and framed the issue as one of access to knowledge: “Reading a book…does not make you gay,” Marquez said, adding that parents who object can withhold the book from their own children but should not remove access for others.

During board discussion, multiple members urged adherence to committee work and to the district regulation that requires a statement of reasons when material is removed or access is limited. Board member Carol (surname not specified during remarks) read the applicable policy language aloud and said the regulation requires the board provide a statement of reasons; the board debated whether limiting general circulation to behind-the-counter access met that threshold.

The motion to limit access (recorded as Education Resolution 1) was moved by Anne (board member) and seconded by Kathy; a roll-call vote followed. The clerk recorded the following responses: Missus Colucci — yes; Miss Gaudieri — yes; Miss Hernandez — no; Missus Hopkins — no; Missus McGregor — yes; Missus Purcell — yes; Miss Schenick — no; Mister Milledi — yes; Mister Botero — no. The motion passed.

Nut graf: The decision reversed the recommendation of the committee that had reviewed the book and highlighted tensions on the board over procedure, the board’s role versus the superintendent’s role, and how the district implements its challenged-materials regulation.

Board members who opposed the limiting motion argued the action undercut the review committee’s work and may violate the regulation’s transparency requirements; members who supported it cited developmental-appropriateness concerns and parental expectations. Several board members said the matter would remain controversial and that they would revisit procedures for handling future challenges.

Ending: The book will remain in the collection but placed behind the media center desk; the board directed that the stated rationale for the limitation (that it was judged not developmentally appropriate) be recorded with the action. Public comment and the lengthy board debate concluded the item before the meeting moved to other agenda votes.","After extended debate and public comment, the Roxbury Township Board of Education voted to place Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer behind the high school media center counter, citing developmental-appropriateness concerns; several board members and community speakers opposed the move and raised procedure concerns under district policy 9130.",{"_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},6518737,"Roxbury superintendent outlines steps after 2025 NJGPA results show drop in math proficiency",1633,3926000,5559000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5386711-469c1d2fa883652d90b38549e6d714b2&start=3926&end=5559","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5386711-469c1d2fa883652d90b38549e6d714b2/thumbnail_3926000.jpg","/articles/6518737/New-Jersey/Roxbury-superintendent-outlines-steps-after-2025-NJGPA-results-show-drop-in-math-proficiency","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518737-ec49e15bde6fa57768aeead9556eb6dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1773588229&Signature=fYzNVG-k8boOkGGhaEGBNNZMHUOmjA-jFf7WYU057ZIrJPrtxPsQcS2j077UU5NKLE8jGmhV8bmsnxvg3GWP75HqHkThRCMwTgwj1-i7uu5rNanhe34bJd74asPR5bC5ASFoWXIKzUvRaxkTSqH-b5kTAh6kYQ6VrntOQ45DPw-JpIdx8lJN~vUw6YtdN~lwCBJEd8F3c7jpNqVHPFoLn~zgrKUKXlBq-AY4iZ-UkRAdY15iXms6UFei2lwhZ4fv0ZVgERNeh5JYPA0~uH4z9GMT4ga8~v9oOVnBtKli2uNhNZjNVopHAjDENFZScOctT0Y032zz4XcLCVi7a0dLWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Roxbury Township School District Superintendent Dr. Christopher Santora presented the district’s February 2025 New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) results at the July 14 Board of Education meeting, saying the district’s overall graduation-ready rate is 73.3 percent while English language arts (ELA) is 84.2 percent and mathematics is 62.5 percent.

“Why is that important? In mathematics, that means 38 percent did not perform within the graduation-ready band,” Dr. Santora said, describing the scores as a signal that “we have more work to do in preparing our students.”

The presentation put the district slightly above the 2025 statewide rates cited by the superintendent (state ELA 80.7 percent; state math 58 percent) but stressed declines from prior years in both subjects. Dr. Santora singled out results by subgroup: nearly every racial subgroup declined from prior years, Hispanic students showed a 7-point drop, and students receiving English-language-learner (ELL) services posted a particularly large gap (4 percent graduation-ready, 96 percent not graduation-ready in the ELL subgroup for 2025).

Nut graf: The superintendent framed the results not as a judgment of teachers but as a basis for targeted steps. He said the district will use diagnostic data, benchmark assessments and curricular adjustments—starting at middle grades—to increase students’ familiarity with assessment formats and to target standards where students are weak.

In his recommended response, Dr. Santora described several concrete changes the district has begun or plans to start in the fall:

- Curriculum alignment and targeted standards work using LinkIt analytics and benchmark data, with a plan to “embed those standards into our curriculum across not only our high school programming, but…our middle school programming as well.”
- Expanded use of benchmark and realtime practice platforms (LinkIt, IXL and similar tools) to identify gaps and inform instruction.
- Instructional practice changes to expose students to NJGPA-style item formats and more frequent practice tasks (teacher “do nows,” weekly homeroom challenges at Roxbury High School).
- A designated math instructional center at Roxbury High School to provide consistent access to math support.
- An emphasis on sheltered instruction and parent-engagement supports for multilingual families, including expanded ESL teacher hours to assist registration and communications.

Dr. Santora credited principal James Crispino, curricular supervisors and teachers for quickly engaging with the results and described planned professional learning community (PLC) work to break down standards and measurable evidence statements. He said curriculum and program structure changes will be coordinated by the secondary supervisor, identified in the meeting as Miss Krauss.

Board members asked how the district would address family-level support differences that affect student outcomes. Board member Eddie Botero recounted his own experience and asked how the district would involve parents; Santora said the district has a multiyear plan that includes parent advisories and targeted trainings for families of multilingual learners, and that communication and scheduling will be adjusted to improve participation.

The superintendent also said the district will continue to use alternative proficiency routes where appropriate (retakes, portfolios) and reiterated that the assessment is only one measure of students’ capacities. He added that the district will bring curricular and instructional changes down to seventh grade to allow skills to build over time.

Ending: Dr. Santora closed by thanking teachers and staff and noting short-term steps the district has already taken; he said action will continue during the 2025–26 school year and that staff will return with progress updates.
","Superintendent Dr. Santora presented February 2025 NJGPA results showing an overall graduation-ready rate of 73.3% and flagged a sharp deficit for students receiving ELL services; the district described curricular, assessment and support changes to address gaps.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Roxbury board approves finance, education, policy and personnel blocks including superintendent contract

Roxbury board votes to limit access to Gender Queer, sparking heated public and member debate

Roxbury superintendent outlines steps after 2025 NJGPA results show drop in math proficiency