Lacey Township superintendent reports test-score gains, details annual drug-testing results and donations

Superintendent Zelensky told the Lacey Township Board of Education on Aug. 6 that the district saw improvements this year in several academic measures and that a fuller report on statewide test results will be released in October.

Zelensky said the district’s preschool students “exceeded expectations in language development, with over 83 percent of them scoring in the higher performance range,” and that the district recorded “a significant increase of 8.7% in our algebra 1 NJSLA scores.” He added that the ninth-grade cohort’s SAT scores “remain above state average” and that the district projects a graduation rate “up to 95 percent.” Zelensky also said the district increased access to Advanced Placement courses and that the AP passing rate rose by “an impressive 13%.”

The superintendent said the district integrated NWEA science assessments and released-item practice to better prepare students for statewide testing. He said a fuller set of scores for AP and SAT will be reported publicly in October.

Zelensky also presented the district’s annual report on the random drug-testing program at the high school and the middle school. He said the district performed 484 random drug tests this year, of which 423 were negative and 56 were positive. He described those figures as raw counts and noted that many tests are follow-ups or retests. He said high school testing is mandatory for students in sports, co-curricular clubs or who hold parking permits, while the middle school program is voluntary.

The superintendent presented additional rates: he said the overall positive rate he cited from the random draws was 11.57 percent, and described a separate “positive rate of people tested” of 6.63 percent when accounting for follow-up testing. He compared those figures to other states, saying New Jersey’s programs are generally smaller and that some states report positive rates above 7 percent.

Zelensky closed by highlighting community donations and partnerships. He thanked the Seabreeze community for donating more than $3,200 in school supplies; Holtec International Corporation for $6,500 in science equipment for the high school; the middle school PTA for about $6,000 in books and calculators; and the Mill Pond PTA for donating an $18,000 fence for the lower playground.

The superintendent said the district updated its long-range facilities plan, diversified revenue by expanding cooperative sports and increasing OCC Academy enrollment, and secured grants for projects. He asked the public to note that the district will hold a public board-goal-setting session in late September to set 2025–26 goals.

The board chairman thanked staff and the township partnership for summer facility work and traffic improvements at Winonaqua Harbor School, noting nearly 300 students attended an extended summer program and the district will welcome more than 4,000 students when school starts.