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Superintendent: chronic absenteeism, vandalism and cell-phone issues are priorities as district avoids staff cuts
Summary
Superintendent Doctor Zurcher told the board the district balanced a tentative budget without cutting staff, and described active efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism, manage student cell-phone use and address vandalism and misuse of the district's turf field.
Doctor Zurcher, the South River superintendent, told the board March 17 that the district balanced a tentative 2025 budget despite reductions in state and federal aid and that administrators prioritized keeping staff and core student supports intact.
Zurcher outlined several operational priorities. On attendance she said district staff, including climate-and-culture specialists, guidance counselors and social workers, have been working with parents to reduce chronic absenteeism. “Schools can be categorized in need of improvement if chronic absenteeism is more than 10%,” she said, stressing the district is working with parents and a truancy officer, and will file complaints with municipal court when warranted to address ongoing truancy.
The superintendent also described current district practice on student cell phones: teachers have classroom-level discretion and middle-school classrooms use pocket holders where students drop phones during instruction. Zurcher said the high school presents particular challenges — some students carry multiple phones, and placing phones in holders has led to other problems such as students taking others' phones and increased staff responsibility for locating them. The district is monitoring guidance from the New Jersey Department of Education and said it will pursue any available grants for equipment tied to state policy changes.
Zurcher reported multiple incidents of after-hours vandalism, trash and unsafe use of campus spaces. Examples cited included birthday cake and plates left on the ELC playground, spray-painting, dog waste and electric bikes ridden on the turf field; she said benches had been thrown onto the turf and bicycles had been used on baseball and softball mounds for tricks. The superintendent said campus playgrounds are now fenced and locked after hours and that the turf field is reserved primarily for school teams, PE classes and elementary recess; the district is not allowing general public use of the field during team practices or games.
The superintendent also noted the calendar shows three unused snow days remaining (April 11, May 23 and May 27) and told the board there are several confirmed PIP investigations listed in the superintendent's report for the board's review and approval.
Board members responding to the report urged the public to respect district facilities. One board member said the vandalism and damage to the new field may force the district to increase access restrictions in the future.
No changes to staffing levels were announced during the meeting; Zurcher said mental-health supports, facility maintenance and instructional materials upgrades were preserved in the budget preparations.
