Parents ask board to reconsider son's denial to advance to honors U.S. history

Adam and Lisonbee Bloomfield (69 Hillside Ave.) asked the Board of Education to reconsider their son's denied appeal to advance from college-prep U.S. History to honors U.S. History for the 2024'5 school year. They said the district's published prerequisites require a minimum final grade of A- in the CP course and a teacher recommendation; they said their son finished with an A- and received a clear teacher recommendation from Brian Magoi.

The Bloomfields said the director of student personnel denied their March 2024 appeal on April 17. They met with Armando Morelli, the social studies department supervisor, who they said confirmed in writing that, after consulting the teacher and reviewing major assessments, he agreed with the teacher recommendation but that the placement decision remained unchanged. The parents told the board they were not shown their child's school work at the meeting and were surprised when concerns about writing ability were later cited as a reason.

The parents asked the board to review the process and consider additional documentation; Chair invited them to submit further evidence by email, and staff said the board would accept follow-up material to be included in the record. The Bloomfields characterized the denial as demoralizing for a student who had pursued advancement independently and achieved high honors.

No board action was taken during the meeting other than the invitation to provide additional evidence; the public comment session was limited by a three-minute rule and the chair encouraged written follow-up for materials that could not be presented during the time allotted.