Vernon Township reports 249 graduates; district details graduation pathways and post‑graduation destinations

Vernon Township School District officials told the Board of Education on Sept. 18 that 249 students were listed as graduates for the class of 2025 and that 98.7% of the cohort met graduation requirements through one of three state-approved pathways.

Director of Curriculum and Instruction Vinny Gagliastro presented the district's annual graduation report and explained the three routes students may use to earn a diploma under New Jersey rules: passage of the NJGPA assessment, qualifying via substitute competency tests (SAT/PSAT/ACCUPLACER), or a portfolio review for students who do not pass standardized assessments. "October 15, we have a snapshot and that goes to the state data collection, and that's where it's certified," Gagliastro said, describing the district's timeline for certifying the numbers with the New Jersey Department of Education.

Gagliastro said 249 is the district's current count as of the report and that numbers can change slightly before the state snapshot on Oct. 15 because of transfers, students leaving the district or students extending their high school enrollment. For the class of 2025 he reported that 89.1% of students passed the NJGPA in English and 65.2% passed the NJGPA in math (figures drawn from Pearson assessment data), with additional students meeting graduation requirements via substitute competency tests or portfolio appeals. Gagliastro cautioned those assessment-derived percentages are not final pathway certifications until the state's official report is published.

Board members pressed for context on the math numbers and district supports. Gagliastro said the district has increased interventions and adjusted curriculum alignment to address the assessment content, particularly algebra and geometry concepts tested by the NJGPA. He also emphasized that many students meet graduation math requirements through alternate assessments or portfolio review: "...98.7 percent of our kids met a math requirement that they needed to meet," a board member observed during discussion, urging the board to view the total graduation-rate context.

District data presented for post-high-school plans showed 68 students were headed to two-year colleges, 108 to four-year colleges, 32 into full-time employment, seven into the military, two taking a gap year, 18 to trade or technical schools and six listed as other or undecided at the time of information collection.

Gagliastro noted the state is migrating its data portal (from New Jersey SMART to NJ SLEDs) and that some cohort and comparative statewide figures were not yet available. He also reminded the board that some students had multiple possible pathways recorded in internal systems and that final reconciled pathway counts will be certified on Oct. 15.

The presentation was delivered during the curriculum committee portion of the meeting and drew questions from several board members; no formal board action on the report was required.