Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee tables plan to split National Junior Honor Society into two chapters until Oct. 9
Summary
The superintendent proposed creating two NJHS chapters—one for mid‑sixth into seventh and a separate eighth–ninth chapter—but members raised concerns about timing, impact on the meaning of induction, grade windows and logistics; the committee voted to table the middle‑school chapter proposal to Oct. 9 to gather comparative data and clarify bylaws.
Administration proposed changing the NJHS structure to increase student access by creating two chapters: a middle‑school chapter (starting in the second semester of sixth grade and covering sixth and seventh grades) and a separate junior chapter for eighth and ninth graders in the high school. "What we'd like to propose is to have two chapters of National Junior Honor Society," said Interim Superintendent Jill Pilgalerani, describing the plan to expand eligibility and add stipends for advisers.
Committee members expressed concern that moving induction earlier could diminish the meaning of the award and asked how neighboring districts handled eighth‑grade students who are already in the high school. Members also raised logistical issues tied to the district's building configuration and questioned whether the change would lessen the achievement value for students who previously earned NJHS at the end of seventh grade.
After extended discussion and requests for comparative information from Oxbridge and Bellingham and for clarification of NJHS bylaws regarding grade spans, the committee voted to table the request for an additional middle‑school chapter until its Oct. 9 meeting. The superintendent agreed to invite the NJHS adviser and to provide documentation about how other districts structure junior honor society chapters.
