Representatives reported updates from the Northern Valley Board of Education at the Mayor and Council meeting on Sept. 11.

The superintendent reported that 400 students achieved AP Scholar recognition among those who participated. For the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) taken in the spring by 11th graders, the superintendent said 92% of students achieved ELA graduation-ready status and 85% achieved mathematics graduation-ready status; the presenter said the district plans continued work to raise those results toward 100%.

Capital projects were also discussed: work on the Northern Valley Occupational/Technical (NVOT) team-room/locker-room project was underway, and the second turf-field project at NVOT was imminent with equipment staged in an adjacent parking lot, the presenter said. The district also installed a new access-control system on school doors and scheduled upcoming school events including remembrance activities for Sept. 11 and back-to-school nights in mid- and late-September.

Why it matters: student achievement metrics and school capital projects affect families and facility planning; the board reported progress on facility improvements and student assessment results, and listed upcoming public events.

No budget votes or funding allocations were taken by the Mayor and Council on Sept. 11 with respect to the school items reported; the report was informational.