Bernards Township Board approves routine finance and personnel items and names Cheryl Howard new Ridge High principal

The Bernards Township Board of Education voted to approve a slate of routine annual, finance and personnel items and formally appointed Cheryl Howard as the next principal of Ridge High School.

The board approved multiple consent agendas during its regular meeting, including 67 finance items, nine annual approvals and an 11-item personnel package. The personnel motion included the appointment of Cheryl Howard as Ridge High School principal; the board lauded Howard’s district experience and named her as the successful candidate.

"We are privileged to have a well prepared administrator to lead Ridge High School, and we are excited to see continued growth and success for our students," the board’s presiding officer said when announcing the appointment. Cheryl Howard responded, "I've actually had 21 years working in district, and I am committed to continuing the rich traditions that Ridge already has, while working to continue to grow and make Ridge the best place we can for our students."

Why it matters: The personnel and finance approvals enable routine district operations heading into summer and the next school year; naming a new high-school principal sets leadership for Ridge as the district prepares staffing and scheduling for 2026–27.

Curriculum and AI literacy proposals The curriculum committee presented two new course proposals and an early-stage plan to revise the district's AI plan and add a graduation requirement focused on digital information and artificial intelligence literacy. The committee described Spark 6 as a sixth-grade course to teach digital citizenship, media literacy and foundational AI concepts; Spark 7 would follow in seventh grade as an exploratory computer science cycle. Administrators said they intend to develop the courses over summer 2026 and present them for board approval after curriculum work and teacher training.

The committee also outlined a preliminary proposal to add a two-credit graduation requirement in digital information and AI literacy (one credit in ninth/tenth grade and one credit in eleventh/twelfth). "Administrators will continue to refine the proposal, identifying the best instructional model and the staffing level needed," the curriculum report said. A final decision on the requirement is expected in the fall.

Course offerings and student-data tools The curriculum update noted several high-school courses that will not run in 2026–27 because of low enrollment, including some advanced computer science topics and certain language and literature sections; supervisors said students may pursue approved outside options for credit with supervisor approval. The district is also developing a customized student-data dashboard (Schoollytics) to help staff monitor attendance, academics and social-emotional indicators.

Facilities, contracts and grants Facilities committee members reported roughly 70 open work orders older than 90 days (painting was the largest category) and updated the board on vendor and project work. Officials said Maschio's, the district's food-service vendor, entered its first year with a $226,000 guaranteed revenue projection and was projected to be about $47,000 short; negotiations on next-year guarantees are ongoing.

Facility staff described two grant opportunities under consideration: a DEP-related grant to support electrifying a school bus (approximately $300,000) and a smaller grant (roughly $4,000) for a charging station. The committee also previewed five large summer maintenance projects (media center carpet replacement, gym wall mats and painting, Cedar Hill roof work and gym painting, and other site paving) and field drainage work for the varsity turf project, with track work planned after graduation and an estimated mid-September completion for some projects.

Public comment and administration responses During the agenda public-comment period, resident Frank Klaus praised the appointment of a dedicated ADA/504 coordinator and raised questions about whether several administrative designations (for example affirmative-action, integrated-pest-management coordinator) would carry pay raises or were merely required designations. "I think this is a fantastic idea," Klaus said of consolidating certain coordinator responsibilities, while also asking why some new roles were listed and whether they were mandated.

Superintendent Markarian responded that the designations are annual, tied to board policy and statute, and typically become part of an existing job description rather than adding compensation. "None of them come along with extra compensation," he told the board, adding that the designations ensure the district knows who is responsible should an issue arise.

Votes at a glance - Approve superintendent items (overnight trip, bus evacuation drill reporting, HIV report): motion moved by Janice, second by Smearthy; outcome: approved (roll call). Note: Mr. Lefkowitz recorded a qualification regarding the HIV item. - Approve minutes: motion moved by Dave, second by Robin; outcome: approved (roll call). - Annual approvals (9 items): outcome: approved (roll call). - Finance consent (67 items): outcome: approved (roll call). - Personnel consent (11 items), including appointment of Cheryl Howard as principal of Ridge High School: motion moved by Robin, second by Dave; outcome: approved (roll call). - Curriculum item(s): outcome: approved (roll call).

What's next: The curriculum committee will continue work this summer on course materials and will bring any proposals (including the AI/digital literacy requirement) back to the board for formal approval. Facilities staff will present the five summer maintenance projects and any change-order needs at the June meeting.

(Reporting note: article based on board meeting transcript; quotes and vote outcomes are taken from the meeting record.)