[{"_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",6168692,"mediaKeyId","5407110-7f3f20c48d572313ed4bc462e4af3a6d","parentId",5407110,"title","Watchung Hills board hears federal, state aid updates as local budget concerns loom","audioSeconds",429,"startMs",131000,"endMs",560000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5407110-7f3f20c48d572313ed4bc462e4af3a6d&start=131&end=560","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5407110-7f3f20c48d572313ed4bc462e4af3a6d/thumbnail_131000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6168692/New-Jersey/Watchung-Hills-board-hears-federal-state-aid-updates-as-local-budget-concerns-loom","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6168692-82f60800131ec835a8f5fd7c9f887195/orig.mp4?Expires=1770885589&Signature=WSSBceFZTG4eajuoANrF8d3bDiOKUQ-KmBYSZtPh8HzOJmhSzC4z-Qycsc5lUyAiuYkie97p8JjRZVPY56RA9z7ktwz44~8jYprudQQkqbatxbQVOSg6kWOAMQVr~BNMQT6lKkr-xxcsg0wxbXEsugFWVJq3wtpnS2R4v7dAcv1soTN9XZy80L-6ddi6~ID4GeqbMKLykCzM5RRav9qOnLE3mONs2LOlLl1oN6Z6gT3wK6rSpMv4O7m9Y9JrvGeFj-4ZQVNoz72XCEb~V3d4a~Xjmf2unU7Xdg4rMF1gBvcsyamEN-M9up042CmDWFUk~IKBhBb9kC75NeOqx6PGxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Watchung Hills Regional High School District, NJ","date","2025-07-16T12:57:48Z","article","At its July meeting, the Watchung Hills Regional High School Board of Education heard updates on federal and state education funding that school officials said will affect next year’s budget planning. A school official told the board the district’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) allocation for the coming year is $367,000, and administrators said they will need to apply to receive the money.

The update matters to taxpayers and district planning because other sources of state and federal support remain uncertain or reduced. Administrators reported that applications for state “extraordinary aid” — a reimbursement for very high-cost special-education placements — totaled about $1.8 million, but the state’s reimbursement percentage had fallen from 61% to 51% for the current cycle; administrators said that percentage is projected to fall to about 40% next year. The district had budgeted $300,000 for extraordinary-aid revenue and said its actual receipt was read out in the meeting as “9.78” (figure as stated in the meeting), which administrators noted is lower than expected.

School leaders also said they had not yet received notifications for several parts of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) grants — commonly referred to as Title I, Title II and Title IV funds — and that some Title funding remains withheld at the federal level. Administrators explained that Title I (Part A) funds have been released, but other Title programs were still pending; they said the Department of Education had been quiet about timing.

Board members and administrators discussed the strain unreimbursed special-education costs place on the local budget. A board member noted that statutory thresholds for state reimbursement apply only to extraordinary costs (the presenters said thresholds of $40,000 and $55,000 were used in the state application process) and that reimbursement is not dollar-for-dollar. Administrators said the effect is that local taxpayers absorb a larger share of high-cost special-education services when state reimbursements decline. Administrators told the board they plan to “tee up” a detailed budget discussion in October and November, and one board member cautioned that meaningful state action was unlikely before the November election and any lame-duck legislative session.

No formal board decisions or votes on the operating budget were taken at the meeting. Board members asked for additional detail in the fall budget cycle and said they would await further federal and state notifications before making changes to local plans.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","July 15, 2025 | WHRHS Board of Education Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At its July meeting, the Watchung Hills Regional High School Board of Education heard updates on federal and state education funding that school officials said will affect next year’s budget planning.","taxTitle","Watchung Hills Regional High School District, School Districts, New Jersey","taxId",46537,"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},6168681,"Operations update: district moves to replace condensate tank, crosswalk dispute persists; board accepts $5,000 band donation",931,2606000,3537000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5407110-7f3f20c48d572313ed4bc462e4af3a6d&start=2606&end=3537","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5407110-7f3f20c48d572313ed4bc462e4af3a6d/thumbnail_2606000.jpg","/articles/6168681/New-Jersey/Operations-update-district-moves-to-replace-condensate-tank-crosswalk-dispute-persists-board-accepts-5000-band-donation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6168681-8fc1cb2bcdf319276a6d17b6a7f93351/orig.mp4?Expires=1770885589&Signature=MSBMakGv1ipV4Y7pAXS6XMbXdxh-wAiv41saIWs7Or~4fqLsncYaX~ohDCyn5Vh6cnk4zzM-tqpnHRbYCISdVjdSgi3XdrAVdn1l5UR3I0u049XR0bTLcgRQnnjoO6Wv8ltTAvHVvNuLL1P08kgG3MvOKJyIA22papZkKP8Rwq7T1tT32fYgBFZpumqb8quKjn0PO7nazczrfDAtoPn0YeeyQoyPJs3Yd-GFj0DhMeMW8pPKFGTAZ~LNk72-9BCZzI~mRblPnEPnZfqfe55-nMmZ643a7FAQIUfrDmijXOxc61zZjoH5YKn1LIQqe2ep803sW-pYCvR5kpXC~9DuFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Watchung Hills Regional High School Board’s operations committee reported that a condensate-tank replacement project for the south boilers — included in the 2025–26 capital budget — requires prompt action because lead times for tanks can be eight to ten weeks. The committee said an initial cooperative-contract price from MPA was $114,000 but that MPA later lost the cooperative contract; the next available cooperative price from McCluskey was $121,253.70, and the replacement proposal was on the board agenda for approval that night.

Board members also spent extended time discussing a separate safety and infrastructure item: a proposed sidewalk/crosswalk on a county road near the high school. Several board members said the request originated from a sending district concerned about younger students crossing the road, but the high school board members argued that the road is a county jurisdiction and that the cost and scope — including a long run of sidewalk affected by steep grades and trees — make the project expensive and outside the district’s financial responsibility. One board member noted the township had received pilot funds that could be applied to such improvements and said the board should not be held responsible for what the member described as a township/county infrastructure obligation. No formal district-funded commitment for a sidewalk or crosswalk was approved during the meeting; the discussion concluded with board members asking local municipal and county officials to take the lead on solutions.

On consent agenda business the board accepted, with gratitude, a $5,000 donation from the Warren Township Lions Club to support the high school marching band’s equipment updates; the acceptance was read into the record and then approved during the roll-call votes on agenda items. The operations committee also reported discussion in executive session about rooftop units and received updates on the district’s budget and grant funding from the chief school administrator.

Separately, the board received an update that a Rowan-led shared-services regionalization feasibility study will present a first full draft to the shared-services advisory committee likely in August, with a planned public presentation in October. A board representative said the study will include actionable recommendations affecting both the regional district and its sending districts.

No new capital contract signatures were described on the record beyond the proposals explained in the committee report; board members said time-sensitive procurement decisions for HVAC equipment would be brought forward in the consent agenda for formal votes.","The operations committee presented a time-sensitive condensate-tank replacement (cooperative-price proposal on the board agenda), board members debated responsibility for a pedestrian crosswalk on a county road, and the board accepted a $5,000 donation from the Warren Township Lions Club for the marching band.",{"_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},6168687,"Watchung Hills presents NJGPA results; math pass rates rise and administrators cite AI tools for deeper analysis",361,594000,955000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5407110-7f3f20c48d572313ed4bc462e4af3a6d&start=594&end=955","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5407110-7f3f20c48d572313ed4bc462e4af3a6d/thumbnail_594000.jpg","/articles/6168687/New-Jersey/Watchung-Hills-presents-NJGPA-results-math-pass-rates-rise-and-administrators-cite-AI-tools-for-deeper-analysis","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6168687-04be086e8428275ccb3d3229972df1a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770885589&Signature=GnrRegO2-gNQEFKpf9MzDTx986U4FJiwkYoHCQVYSxOgwOZoreUTjfAFDNd-xSrqgAPC0CNqc~E8AuwdOX5ooDmVq7wyNcs~7HNd6z6duTMO0XeazoqNBAkZAG4KO9doCF5iWhlsoD3ZwTRKB2rhgJu~~F7T9KLQc9TALSBmaKDyxvQ0o9lQtjHyhvJr~3nM1h-7z7y75zFRI~9jZyFJEkcaXToknODWiDaQnv-TCK1yC1pHIe7CIkeLmf9dzAqOUZ~1cA~TY3Yvh16fKGkDnmbe~dNpzS2YqjQWjATO5sX-tIGMiTJBFsiJfXwFlVWaS3jVxN4wW~qpFcWqvYhxUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","School administrators told the Watchung Hills Regional High School Board on July 9 that students’ performance on the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) improved this year, with particularly strong gains among several subgroups.

“We had 419 test takers,” Michael D’Alessio, director of mathematics and assessment, said, and he reported a 4.5 percentage-point increase in the math pass rate and a 0.1 percentage-point increase in English language arts compared with the prior year. He described the NJGPA as a binary graduation test: “You either pass it or you don’t,” he said, and outlined alternative pathways for students who do not reach the NJGPA passing score, including qualifying scores on the PSAT, SAT, ACT or ACCUPLACER, October retests in senior year, and a portfolio/appeals process.

Administrators highlighted subgroup progress in math: Black/African American students improved by 14.8 percentage points, Hispanic/Latino students by 6.7 points, and students identifying as two or more races by 7.4 points. D’Alessio credited a student-centered approach that included revised staff scheduling, expanded educational-technology platforms (he named platforms used by the district), curriculum review aligned to state standards, and a multi-tiered system of supports involving guidance counselors, case managers and school psychologists.

Board members asked for additional cross-tabulated counts: D’Alessio and colleagues said they would provide a unique count of students needing interventions. At the meeting a board member reported that 49 rising seniors were the total number who needed some form of intervention to meet graduation requirements at that time; administrators cautioned that the number can change with results reported after transfers or additional testing.

Mary Ellen Phelan, supervisor of English, described instructional changes the district plans to emphasize, including increased work on nonfiction and poetry and a stronger emphasis on vocabulary in context beginning in ninth grade to prepare students for the tenth-grade-aligned ELA assessment.

Administrators also described experimentation with artificial-intelligence tools — including Google Gemini and a notebook large-model environment — to help analyze three years of assessment data and to create teacher-facing reports. They said professional development on those tools is scheduled in August and September so teachers can use AI to interrogate local data.

Administrators said the district intends to offer targeted summer and fall supports — an NJGPA success class, algebra review and English 4 sections — to help students who must retake sections in the October retest or pursue alternate pathways, and they said students and parents will receive communications about available supports.

No board action beyond receiving the presentation was taken at the meeting.","District officials reported a 4.5% increase in math pass rates and a small ELA gain on the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment. Administrators described multiple graduation pathways, subgroup gains, targeted supports for students who must retake exams, and pilot use of AI tools to analyze performance data.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Watchung Hills board hears federal, state aid updates as local budget concerns loom

Operations update: district moves to replace condensate tank, crosswalk dispute persists; board accepts $5,000 band donation

Watchung Hills presents NJGPA results; math pass rates rise and administrators cite AI tools for deeper analysis