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Interim superintendent warns cafeteria will run limited service as Pascack Valley readies other upgrades
Summary
Interim Superintendent Dirk Phillips told the board Aug. 25 that a delayed roof reinforcement will keep Pascack Valley’s cafeteria from offering full kitchen service for roughly two to three weeks; he also outlined auditorium renovations, climate-control upgrades, a MacBook refresh and new courses for the year.
Dirk Phillips, interim superintendent of the Pascack Valley Regional High School District, told the board Aug. 25 that a roof reinforcement needed to accommodate a new cafeteria HVAC and exhaust unit will delay full kitchen service at the start of the school year and that the district expects the cafeteria to be fully operational within two to three weeks after the work is completed.
Phillips said the delayed installation affects both the HVAC function and kitchen exhaust, forcing the cafeterias to operate as they did at the end of the prior school year. “Without that in place, it’s gonna put a delay in us opening the kitchen,” he said.
Why it matters: The change affects meal operations for students during the opening weeks and requires coordination with food-service staff. Phillips framed the update within a broader back-to-school briefing that included technology, facilities and curriculum developments.
The superintendent praised custodial and maintenance staff and singled out the technology team for completing a district MacBook refresh. “Kudos to everyone involved with that project,” Phillips said, noting the district collected, reformatted and redeployed machines ahead of the school year. He credited in-house capacity — HVAC, maintenance and plumbing expertise — for reducing outsourcing and saving the district money and time on many projects.
Phillips gave a timeline for multiple facility projects: auditorium renovations at Pascack Valley are under way with seating removed and expected to be finished before November; district climate controls are being replaced with a digital system expected to be fully operational by winter; and new field lights have been installed for athletic events.
He also reported that Park Academy relocated to a new Emerson site this summer and that the district is preparing an expansion on a second-floor space to offer a fuller-day program. Phillips reminded the board of recent and upcoming training: new-teacher training, all-staff orientation, a freshman orientation and the first day of school.
On curriculum, Phillips said the board’s agenda included revisions and three new courses: Spanish Conversation and Culture, Honors Chamber Choir and Honors Concert Band. He also noted a statewide change in assessment vendors and formats: the state will field-test an adaptive assessment called the NJGPA adaptive and an adaptive NJSLA in the fall for selected grades and subjects; the district is awaiting detailed guidance from the state.
Phillips closed by reminding the board of a Sept. 13 retreat and thanking staff for summer work to prepare buildings and programs for the new school year.
