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Citizen Advisory Committee urges reinstating weekly Jeans Friday, loosening after‑school supervision rules and other community requests
Summary
The Citizen Advisory Committee reported on Oct. 2 and presented recommendations to the Winslow Township Board on Oct. 8, urging the district to reinstate weekly Jeans Friday, permit certified staff to supervise approved after‑school events in lieu of an on‑site administrator and to address marching band equity, HSA revival and technology-audit follow up.
The Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) reported to the Winslow Township Board of Education on Oct. 2 and presented its recommendations to the board during the Oct. 8 meeting.
CAC attendees and board liaison Ms. Martin described multiple items the committee discussed. On staff morale, the CAC said a recent change that limited Jeans Friday to the last Friday of the month (a change reported as coming from administration or board direction) has reduced morale and eliminated a recurring fundraiser; the committee recommended reinstating weekly Jeans Fridays and restoring the small fundraiser that supported student clubs. "The consensus of the committee was that the change negatively impacted morale and eliminated a fundraiser revenue source," the CAC report said.
On after‑school supervision, the CAC recommended reviewing district policy to allow certified staff (teachers holding appropriate certifications) to supervise approved after‑school and evening events when an administrator is unavailable, rather than requiring an on‑site administrator for every event. The CAC asked the board to compare other districts' practices and amend the supervision policy accordingly.
The CAC also suggested steps to revive Home and School Associations (HSA) and considered whether some schools should transition to PTO/PTA structures; discussion noted that PTO/PTA affiliation requires membership dues and minimum membership thresholds that could be a barrier without local fundraising support.
The committee raised marching band equity and transportation concerns, recommending equitable travel arrangements and exploring overnight accommodations for multi‑day competitions to reduce repeated bus trips. The CAC also flagged parental concerns around informal classroom party invitation practices and recommended clarifying or standardizing a written policy.
Finally, the CAC reported that a district technology audit is underway; when complete, the audit will be presented publicly and the district will determine which remediation tasks can be handled in‑house and which will require outside contractors.
Public commenters at the meeting also praised interim Superintendent Mark Pease for rapid response after the middle school water damage and commended district communications and Chromebook distribution. The board and administration committed to return to the CAC and community with follow‑up details, including membership renewal mechanics and technology audit results.
Next steps: policy committee will review recommendations (visitor policy and volunteer policy were discussed for first reading), the CAC will continue outreach and the administration will report back on technology audit findings and any policy changes recommended.
