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Superintendent Glover: state aid flat, enrollment down and new graduation, phone and AI rules ahead
Summary
In the board's monthly update Superintendent Glover said state aid looks likely to be flat or reduced, reported an enrollment dip and reviewed district priorities including required cell-phone and artificial-intelligence policies and new graduation credential requirements.
Superintendent Glover told the Hillside Board of Education during the monthly report that the district faces budget pressure from likely flat or reduced state aid and from a small enrollment decline.
"State aid this year is going to be flat funded," Glover said, and warned that rising costs for salaries and transportation will force the district to "evaluate our partnerships, vendors, and non-instructional resources." He said the district's overall free-and-reduced-lunch rate is about 72'73 percent and that elementary lunch application completion is around 80 percent.
Glover reported enrollment is down "by approximately 41 students" this year. He noted charter-school enrollment of 100 students represents roughly $2,000,000 leaving the district and said about 200 students historically have left the district for other options, a trend he said the district is trying to reverse.
He also summarized several state-mandated policy changes and graduation requirements. "We are required by the New Jersey Department of Education to update our cell phone policy," he said, and added the district must adopt an artificial-intelligence policy "on or before April of 2025." Glover said the Class of 2025 must complete financial-aid applications and that "every student graduating the class of 2026 and beyond is required to get at least 1 industry value credential," giving examples such as CPR/AED certification or industry certificates in cybersecurity or trades.
Glover framed the recommendations as part of an effort to increase student agency and postsecondary readiness: he described efforts to expand coding, robotics and credential pathways that could let students earn industry-recognized certificates or college-level credentials before graduation.
Why it matters: flat state funding combined with rising operating costs and small enrollment declines affects staff, programs and the budget choices the board will face in the coming months. Glover told trustees that budget season is imminent and said the district will need to consider creative options to preserve instructional priorities while managing costs.
The superintendent closed by urging community support for students during the holidays and by noting philanthropic efforts to reduce student lunch balances ($6,000 raised in recent donations, he said). He also previewed an aviation seminar and vendor partnerships aimed at career pathways.
The board took no formal fiscal votes during Glover's report; committee reports and a motion to enter executive session followed later in the meeting.
