Haddonfield board hears strong NJGPA results, anti-bullying update and referendum construction plans; budget cuts spark SRO dispute

Haddonfield School District leaders on July 15 presented results from the spring 2025 New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA), a biannual report on harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) and violence/vandalism data, and an extensive referendum construction update. The meeting also included a heated public response after the board discussed budget cuts that have left the district unable to fund a dedicated school resource officer (SRO) for the coming year.

The assessment presentation said districtwide graduation readiness rose to 93.5% in 2025, up from 91.8% in 2024. The presenter noted exceptional English language arts performance — 97% of students demonstrated graduation readiness in ELA, compared with an 80.7% state average cited in the presentation — while math readiness rose to 88.6%. Presenters emphasized that most students who did not demonstrate proficiency were students with special needs; the presenter stated that, in math, all students who did not meet the standard were identified as students with special needs. District staff explained alternate pathways recognized by the state for students to demonstrate graduation readiness — retaking the NJGPA, achieving a qualifying score on an additional assessment such as the SAT or PSAT, completing an alternative academic assessment (for example, Accuplacer), or a portfolio review — and said the state had not yet finalized some pathway reporting details as of the meeting.

Rob Fox, identified by the board as the district’s anti-bullying coordinator during the biannual HIB report, reviewed two reporting periods required by state law and the district’s self-assessment process. For January 1–June 30, 2025, the district recorded 16 reports; five initial reports were screened out as not meeting the HIB threshold (no distinguishing characteristic or no substantial disruption), seven were not confirmed after investigation and four were confirmed HIB incidents. Among investigated incidents, the presenter gave a categorical breakdown: one each on race, religion and gender; two on sexual orientation; one on disability; and five listed as “other” (examples discussed included weight, hair color and size). The presenter and board members said HIB reports and suspensions have declined compared with 2023–24 and attributed some of the decrease to school climate work, assemblies, an expansion of arts participation and increased use of an anonymous reporting app (the “Stop It” app). The district reported 16 total HIB-related reports in the second reporting period and contrasted that with higher totals in prior years.

The meeting also included the required violence and vandalism report. District staff provided the numeric breakdown of in-school and out-of-school suspensions by school and offense category, and said total out-of-school suspensions for the year decreased compared with 2023–24 (from 63 to 36) while in-school suspensions rose slightly. Staff said some disciplinary responses have shifted to Saturday detentions or restrictions such as loss of open campus rather than out-of-school suspension.

On facilities, consultants from the referendum team and construction managers gave a multi-project progress update. Presenters said the 1890s interior alteration project is at the end of design development and targeted to go out to bid in mid-August with an award request in late September and approximately one year of construction. Athletic field work has been combined into a single package (base turf plus referendum amenities and parking) for efficiency, with a projected mobilization in March and substantial completion by June 2026 to allow summer use. Major building additions (Tatum and Hatton second-/third-floor additions and the Hatton elevator/media center work) were described as on concurrent schedules with a targeted bid date of Oct. 30 and award in early December; contractors would aim to mobilize the summer after award with substantial completion the following August. Window replacements for the historic A wing carry a targeted bid date in August with SHPO (State Historic Preservation Office) review required before final approvals. Presenters warned elevator procurement can take many months for fabrication and installation and said teams are sequencing critical-path items to reduce in-school construction impacts. District staff also reported ongoing projects under construction (interior renovations, flooring abatement and replacement at multiple buildings, stadium ADA upgrades and the high school elevator shaft work) and described a recent sprinkler-system rupture at the high school library that caused water damage and required asbestos testing and remediation; staff said immediate mitigation (dehumidification and drying) limited damage and they expect the library to be usable by the start of the school year pending repair schedules.

Budget and staffing discussions were a central tension of the meeting. Board members and administration described two years of budget reductions and rising costs: personnel and services cuts, reductions to operating supplies and elimination of stipends. The board said they cut roughly $1.2 million in personnel reductions in the previous year and made additional cuts in the current budget cycle; administrators identified roughly $560,000–$600,000 cut from educational and operational supplies over two years and called out specific lost items such as selected professional-development activities that had been funded previously by Title II-A federal grants (the district said those funds were being withheld at the state level and are not available). Board members stated that capital reserves and referendum bond proceeds cannot legally be redirected to cover recurring personnel costs like an SRO salary.

As a result of those budget constraints, the board said it could not commit funds in the current budget to pay for a full‑time class‑3 SRO (a municipal police officer assigned to school duties). That announcement drew extended public comment: parents, residents and former board members urged the district to retain the SRO, calling the officer an important on-site presence, trusted contact for students and an armed, trained first responder. Several residents proposed alternatives such as cost‑sharing with the borough, targeted fundraising, PTA contributions or other partnerships. Board members responded that they would re‑examine finances, try to identify options and raise the item with the borough and the finance committee, but they stressed legal restrictions around capital and referendum funds and emphasized other safety systems remain in place, including formal emergency protocols and direct police liaisons. Board and administration representatives said they would return with more options for funding the SRO position.

The meeting closed with a long consent agenda and multiple routine resolutions (personnel appointments, field trips, contracts, grants, financial reports and required policy items). The board approved the consent items by roll call vote.

Votes at a glance - Acceptance of the biannual HIB/violence and vandalism report — approved (roll call). - Acceptance of NJGPA presentation and authorization to file required state reports (60‑day reporting window noted) — approved as part of consent actions. - Multiple referendum- and construction-related authorizations and procurement actions (including authorization to submit designs to Colliers for review, bid-authorizations on several projects and award authorizations in later months) — included in discussion and in business/finance approvals; board authorized routine procurement steps and accepted consultant updates. - Personnel approvals (new hires, transfers, summer enrichment staff, coaching and stipends, curriculum work compensation) — approved (roll call). - Business/finance items including gift acceptances, grant applications, emergency contract for stormwater repair, school meal rates, awarding of RFPs for financial advisory and instructional services, internal control documents, and payment of bills — approved (roll call). - Minutes for June 12 (executive and regular) — approved (roll call).

Why it matters The NJGPA scores provide a snapshot of the district’s readiness outcomes as the board and administrators finalize curriculum and intervention priorities for the coming school year, particularly for students with special needs who were identified as the majority of students not meeting proficiency in math. The HIB/vandalism numbers, discipline trends and increased use of anonymous reporting tools are metrics district leaders will use to guide prevention work and school climate programming. The referendum schedules and procurement plans set expectations for major construction impacts at multiple schools over the next two summers. Finally, the budgetary choices that produced the SRO funding gap highlight the tradeoffs the district faces between operating costs and community safety expectations, a topic the board said it will revisit with additional financial options and borough leaders.

What’s next District staff said they will provide the state’s required NJGPA reporting within the 60‑day window, share updated comparative district factor group data when it is released, return with clarifying data on special-education subgroup comparisons once the state disaggregates results, and report back to the board on specific funding options for the SRO. The board said it will publish construction procurement schedules and update timelines for bid and award dates as Colliers and the district finalize reviews.