Hillside board praises graduates, outlines summer literacy push and student supports

The Hillside Board of Education on June 30 celebrated the district's graduating class of 2025, reviewed student achievement figures and outlined plans to support summer reading and student well‑being.

Superintendent Glover began remarks by thanking staff and volunteers for graduation and promotion events and singled out Hillside High School Principal Terry Willard for recognition. Principal Willard presented highlights from the year, including athletics honors, college acceptances, career and technical placements, and student programs such as Brothers Bonding with Books and Basketball. Willard said the district had 205 seniors this year.

The board discussed academic performance data for early grades: Glover reported that 65% of kindergarten students demonstrated mastery of grade‑level reading materials, 81% of first graders met the district measure and 63% of second graders did so; she said the district had 'drilled down' into subgroup data and would continue to track and provide interventions. The superintendent said math results were still pending.

To limit summer learning loss and encourage reading, the district will provide at least 15 books to elementary students, publish a summer reading list and make Scholastic‑provided digital and print materials available through school and a partnership with the Hillside Public Library. Glover said students may visit school buildings during the summer to pick up books and that staff will distribute extras to students who need them.

Glover described the Brothers Bonding with Books and Basketball program, which served about 50 students and included book donations from Scholastic. Several titles donated were listed by the superintendent, including works by Kwame Alexander and Maurice Stoudemire. The district also plans home libraries built by the high school carpentry class for each school; those small libraries will be painted in school colors and placed on school grounds.

Principal Willard reported program and extracurricular highlights: athletes recognized by local media, students earning the New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish, French, Haitian Creole and Portuguese, JROTC competitive awards, decathlon team improvements with a top‑10 state finish, and college mentoring through an Ernst & Young program that provided laptops and mentors. He said four seniors completed the Kean University dual‑credit (Cain Scholars) program and earned 40 college credits.

Willard also described a Sustainable Jersey grant of $10,000 used to build a garden and painted brick pavers at the high school; the program will add a rain barrel and a greenhouse. The district hosted a 'Hidden in Plain Sight' event on vaping and substance use and an 'After the Fire' presentation about dorm safety; Willard said New Jersey requires dorm sprinkler systems as a result of past incidents.

Student representative Olushe Iko offered a brief report and congratulated the class of 2025. The board thanked the student representative for serving and noted the role as a leadership opportunity that can provide references for college and employment applications.

During public comment, resident speakers praised the Brothers Bonding event and the book distribution initiative. One parent said a school book distribution line wrapped down the hall and proposed a 'give a book/get a book' exchange. Another resident asked about the district's new phone system and whether outside calls show the district's name on recipients' phones, and raised a question about hiring an interim director of curriculum who previously provided vendor services; the superintendent said the previous contractor's services end June 30 and that the interim hire is a former assistant superintendent serving temporarily and not under a vendor contract.

Board committee chairs provided brief committee reports: finance covered agenda items 1'13; buildings and grounds reported on a New Jersey Department of Education toilet room facilities waiver for AP Morris, architect‑of‑record services with EMV Architecture, an estimate to install a new boiler at AP Morris, school bus emergency evacuation reports and Harbor Consultants as project manager/engineer designee; education reported curricular matters and renewal of academic grants and programs; labor relations reported on agenda and non‑agenda items.

The board moved into an executive session to discuss personnel, labor and contract matters.

Votes at a glance: No formal roll‑call votes on agenda items were recorded in public session during the portion of the transcript provided; committee items and personnel matters were handled through committee reports and the executive session motion to close public session for confidential discussion.