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Hillside superintendent outlines budget plan, student supports and program gains
Summary
Superintendent Glover presented academic gains, a proposed 2% tax levy, increased student supports and district recognitions; he scheduled a public budget hearing May 7 and highlighted tutoring, book distribution and mental-health outreach.
Superintendent Glover summarized academic progress, program investments and a proposed 2% tax levy at the Hillside Public School District board meeting, and scheduled a public budget discussion for May 7 at 6 p.m.
Glover said the levy proposal would amount to about $203.22 per student for the district’s roughly 3,100 students and outlined what the district intends that revenue to fund: home libraries (about 15–16 books per student), expanded extracurriculars and sports, mental-health staff in every school, high-impact tutoring, arts and certification courses, and partnerships with Apple and Amazon.
The superintendent noted recent measurable gains from the district’s high-impact tutoring program. Of 152 students identified as one or more grade levels below in reading who participated, Glover said about 31% are now “on track to be proficient.” For 151 students who received math tutoring, he reported about 28% are on track. Glover described those shifts as “significant growth” if sustained and documented in student records.
Glover also highlighted the district’s distribution of 21,474 books to students this year and said attendance across the district averages over 94 percent. He said 76 percent of Hillside seniors have already committed to postsecondary education and that 21 Hillside High School seniors received the New Jersey Seal of Biliteracy in languages including French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese and Spanish.
On student supports and initiatives, Glover said the district invested in the Leader in Me program to promote leadership and character-building, noting early-grade examples of the program’s impact. He added mental health remains an area of emphasis and called attention to a community panel scheduled for the coming Saturday to address youth vaping and marijuana use from mental-health, legal and academic perspectives. “Strengthens character, cultivates innovation, fosters leadership,” Glover said, quoting the district mission statement he emphasized during the report.
Glover cautioned that innovation requires funding and framed the proposed levy as a targeted approach to maintain programs and avoid layoffs. He said the district has made “hard cuts” but is trying to preserve classroom staff and programs.
The superintendent’s report also included brief acknowledgements: a staff member, Lorraine Gardner, was recognized for assisting a student in distress, and a fourth-grade student from Heard and Looker (read his Arbor Day poem to the meeting) received a county-level award.
The board will hold a public budget meeting May 7 at 6 p.m., when Glover and staff plan to present detailed budget documents and answer questions.
