Citizens Advisory Committee raises Chromebook rollout, staff morale and marching band equity; board to follow up

Members of the Winslow Township Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) presented recommendations to the board on Oct. 8 after their Oct. 2 meeting. CAC members asked the board to reconsider a change to a weekly "Jeans Friday" program that the CAC said was curtailed to the last Friday of the month; the committee said the change harmed staff morale and reduced a small fundraiser. Ms. Martin (board liaison) said she had not heard of any board action directing the change and the committee recommended reinstating weekly Jeans Friday to support morale and school club fundraising.

The CAC also asked the board to review the visitor policy (the policy committee recommended retaining the current visitor policy) and to consider amending after‑school supervision rules to permit certified staff to supervise approved student events where administrators are unavailable. The CAC reported Chromebook rollout delays and expressed concern that delayed deployment might render equipment obsolete; administration said the middle school devices were already in the field, the rollout plan is being developed, and the district will provide more information when procedures and return expectations are finalized.

The committee raised marching band equity and transportation issues: some band families feel the band receives less support than athletic teams and suggested equitable transportation, exploring overnight accommodations for multi‑day competitions and encouraging cross‑activity support. CAC recommendations included comparing supervision policies with neighboring districts and standardizing communications on class party invitation practices. The board committed to follow up on the technology audit results and donate/donation policy specifics.