Pascack Valley district announces program dissolutions, construction progress and policy reviews
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Summary
District leaders reported the dissolution of Park Academy and Region 2 with services to be coordinated by local districts, updates on construction projects and an upcoming review of 'bell to bell' cell‑phone policy following New Jersey Department of Education guidance.
During routine reports on Feb. 2, district administrators provided several operational updates for the Pascack Valley Regional High School District.
Speaker Jordan announced the district will dissolve two specialized programs — Park Academy and Region 2 — and said services for students with special needs will be coordinated by local districts beginning next school year. Jordan thanked staff who supported those programs and said the district is working to ensure services continue through local coordination.
Administrators also gave construction and facilities updates: exterior ramp footings and rebar have been installed but progress was slowed by extreme cold and snow; interior demolition for a second‑floor project has begun; HVAC work in a cafeteria was completed in late December and outstanding inspections remain; the PV auditorium carpet was installed and stage flooring work was planned, with the district aiming for partial auditorium use after the President’s Day break.
The board was told Governor Murphy signed guidance requiring a district 'bell to bell' cell‑phone policy for the 2026–27 school year and that district administrators will assess the guidance and recommend policy modifications. The superintendent’s report also said the district calendar will shift to a calendar‑year schedule for Board meetings and noted upcoming committee meetings and a Feb. 23 presentation on school rankings and chronic absenteeism.
Policy committee business was reported as well: James Stankus could not attend but the committee met Jan. 26 and recommended first readings of policies on harassment, nepotism and employment of the chief school administrator with only minor definition changes.
Motions on minutes and multiple consent agendas (policy, education, human resources and finance) were made and approved by roll call during the meeting; some roll calls recorded dissent or abstentions on specific items (for example, one recorded 'No' on a policy consent item 4).