Voorhees Township board approves 2025–26 calendar 7–1, hears student recycling presentation and safety report; employee termination approved

The Voorhees Township Board of Education on Feb. 26 approved the district’s 2025–26 school calendar by a 7–1 roll-call vote, unanimously approved the termination of employee number 3298 effective Feb. 26, 2025, and received presentations on student environmental projects and the Student Safety Data System (SSDS).

The calendar vote (agenda item 16.18) followed public comment and discussion among board members and passed with seven members voting yes and one no. The board later returned from executive session and voted unanimously to terminate employee number 3298 (agenda item 16.24) effective Feb. 26, 2025.

The board also heard a presentation from ET Hamilton School’s Climate Sparks group. Mary Tabby, principal of ET Hamilton School, described Climate Sparks as “a student-led initiative involving our fourth and fifth grade students who are passionate about the environment and motivated to take action to create meaningful change within our community.” Tabby highlighted a partnership with NexTrex for plastic bag recycling and said students aim to collect 1,000 pounds of plastic this year; presenters reported mid-effort totals of 652 pounds and later 701 pounds collected, and they invited the public to a second annual recycling parade at ET Hamilton on April 4, 2025.

Susan Donnelly, supervisor of special projects, delivered the district’s required SSDS report for reporting period 1 (Sept. 1–Dec. 31, 2024). Donnelly reported that ET Hamilton had no SSDS incidents in the period; Creston reported one incident of violence; Osage reported three incidents including a weapon and a confirmed HIB (harassment, intimidation and bullying) investigation; Signal Hill reported none; and Voorhees Middle School reported 17 incidents overall, including five classified as violence and 12 confirmed HIB investigations — an increase from the comparable reporting period last year. Donnelly noted that HIBs that are alleged but not confirmed do not count in the confirmed totals.

Committee chairs gave routine updates. The policy committee presented a first reading of several revised policies including Policy 2365 (acceptable use of generative artificial intelligence), Policy 5512 (harassment, intimidation and bullying), Policy 5730 (student smoking) and Policy 7410 (electronic surveillance in school buildings and on school grounds). The finance committee reported it is developing transportation adjustments for 2025–26 that would consolidate kindergarten riders with grades 1–5 on the same buses and apply the same route policy to kindergarten; the committee signaled support for those changes and plans to forward a policy update for committee review.

Members of the public raised several concerns during the meeting’s public-comment periods, including allegations about political content at staff trainings and questions about immigration enforcement guidance for staff, and several speakers urged further dialogue on the 2025–26 calendar. A board member who voted no on the calendar said the vote reflected “continued faculty concerns” and a desire to ensure staff input was fully heard before finalizing next year’s schedule.

Votes at a glance

- Approve minutes — Regular meeting 01/22/2025: motion approved, unanimous (mover/second not specified in record).

- Approve minutes — Special meeting 01/25/2025: motion approved, unanimous (mover/second not specified in record).

- Approve items under Policy (as presented on the agenda, first reading items listed by the policy committee): motion approved, unanimous (mover Stewart; second Bertie; recorded as unanimous).

- Approve items under Curriculum (agenda block): motion approved, unanimous (mover not specified; recorded as unanimous).

- Approve personnel items (block) with two items pulled for separate votes (16.18 and 16.24): amended motion to approve items 16.1–16.17 and 16.19–16.23 passed, unanimous (mover/second not specified in record).

- Calendar — Agenda item 16.18 (vote on 2025–26 school calendar): motion moved by Rudder; second Rosner. Roll call: Mister Bryce: yes; Miss Kedover: yes; Missus Munyan: yes; Mister Rosen: yes; Mister Rosner: yes; Missus Rudder: yes; Missus Stewart: yes; Miss Verdi: no. Outcome: approved, 7 yes, 1 no.

- Personnel — Agenda item 16.24 (termination of employee number 3298 effective 02/26/2025): motion approved, unanimous. Second recorded as Rudder; mover not specified. Roll call recorded all present members voting yes.

- Approve items under Transportation (agenda block): motion approved, unanimous (mover not specified; recorded as unanimous).

- Approve items under Finance (agenda block): motion approved, unanimous (mover not specified; recorded as unanimous).

What the board said and asked

Mary Tabby described the Climate Sparks projects and credited volunteers and staff, including Sandy D’Amico and a fifth-grade teacher who volunteered time. Tabby said the program “emphasize[s] collaboration, innovation, and engagement” and noted a NexTrex partnership has previously earned a recycled plastic bench for the ET Hamilton playground.

On the SSDS report, Susan Donnelly said the state-reporting chart distinguishes confirmed incidents from alleged investigations and that schools’ counts can shift between the first and second reporting periods as programs and trainings are scheduled across the year. When a board member asked whether additional trainings would be scheduled at Voorhees Middle School in response to a rise in confirmed HIB investigations there, Donnelly said the district had done more trainings and programs that fall and would continue to focus on the middle school.

Why it matters

The calendar decision fixes instructional and operational dates for 2025–26 and drew a rare recorded minority vote tied to staff concerns about planning and the district work calendar. The SSDS figures show an increase in confirmed investigations at Voorhees Middle School for the reporting period, prompting renewed attention to trainings and prevention programs. The student recycling drive illustrates district elementary engagement in environmental initiatives and community outreach ahead of an April event.

What’s next

The board scheduled its next regular meeting for March 12, 2025, at 7 p.m. at the Administrative Building. The administration noted the governor’s budget address had occurred recently and that New Jersey state aid numbers were expected the following day, after which the district will finalize the budget for submission to the county by March 19, 2025.