Pleasantville superintendent cites improved graduation outcomes, rising multilingual enrollment
Loading...
Summary
Superintendent Martinez presented the NJDOE 2023–24 performance reports: enrollment rose by ~175 students, multilingual learner population is about 26.3% of students, the 2024 four‑year graduation rate improved and the district will hold three strategic‑planning community meetings this fall.
Superintendent Martinez reviewed the New Jersey Department of Education 2023–24 school performance and WIDA access reports at the board’s Aug. 12 workshop.
Key points the superintendent highlighted: district enrollment increased by roughly 175 students since 2021, multilingual learners made up about 26.3% of the student population (1,026 of 3,902 students), the 2024 cohort’s federal four‑year graduation rate rose by 11.2 percentage points compared with 2023 and was within 2 percentage points of the state rate, and student participation in statewide ELA and math testing was nearly 100% last year. Martinez also pointed to the district’s work expanding dual‑enrollment and career and technical education participation and noted that Pleasantville seniors earned more associate degrees than any other Atlantic County district last year.
The superintendent acknowledged persistent challenges: chronic absenteeism in some grades remains higher than the statewide average, many multilingual learners enter district schools with minimal social and academic English proficiency, and teacher demographics differ from student demographics (district teacher force more heavily white while students are majority Hispanic). Martinez said the reports inform improvement planning and announced three community strategic‑planning meetings (Sept. 23, Oct. 16, Nov. 20) for parents, staff and students.
Board members asked no questions during the report and subsequently voted to approve the superintendent’s report as presented.
