Verona superintendent reports 156 graduates; one denied diploma for attendance

The Verona superintendent reported to the Verona Board of Education on July 22 that 156 students graduated in June, including 153 Verona High School (VHS) graduates and three students who completed programs in out‑of‑district placements.

The report, presented as the district’s annual graduation report, said 29 students (about 18 percent) graduated by meeting a substitute competency assessment, 23 students graduated through the portfolio appeals process, three received state‑endorsed diplomas based on alternate requirements in their individualized education programs, and one student was denied graduation for attendance. The superintendent said no students were denied graduation solely for failing the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJ GPA), substitute competency test, or the portfolio appeals process.

The superintendent described the substitute competency assessment routes that can satisfy state requirements — for example, ACCUPLACER, PSAT/SAT subscore options and other state‑approved measures — and explained that a student who does not meet the NJ GPA score must at least sit for that assessment or pursue a portfolio appeal that is scored and submitted to the state. “So, there were a 156 students, that graduated, in June,” the superintendent said when presenting the totals and the breakdowns by pathway.

Board members asked about follow‑up on graduates’ postsecondary plans. The superintendent said the district can use voluntary post‑graduation surveys but cautioned response rates are typically low; she suggested tracking outcomes over multiple years is more informative and said she would talk with Mrs. Ackerman about possible follow‑up communications with graduates.

The report noted a small decline in districtwide attendance after an attendance‑policy change: district rates were essentially flat year‑to‑year with a 0.2 percent drop overall, a 1.1 percent decrease at Verona High School and mixed changes across elementary schools (improvements at FN Brown, Landing Avenue, and HBW; flat at Forest Avenue and Brookdale). The superintendent said she recommended waiting another year before making further changes to the attendance policy and suggested potential tweaks for high school only if the pattern persists.

The superintendent also referenced federal and state funding items affecting district operations, including an $8,000 reduction in the district’s IDEA allocation compared with the prior year and uncertainty about Title allocations pending federal action and litigation; she said the district had not yet received its Title allocations for the coming year.

The board took no specific action on the graduation report beyond accepting the presentation; several board members asked for follow‑up data on graduate destinations and for a continued review of attendance policy effects.