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Keyport superintendent cites AP participation surge, $1.5M in new funding and attendance challenges
Summary
At a June 3 board workshop Superintendent Dr. Seavoya told the Keyport School District board that AP participation rose from 5.7% to 31.1%, the district secured more than $1.5 million in supplemental funding, and chronic absenteeism remains a focus despite some year‑to‑year improvements.
Superintendent Dr. Seavoya delivered the Keyport School District’s State of the District at a board workshop on June 3, outlining academic gains, new grant funding and continuing concerns about chronic absenteeism.
Dr. Seavoya told trustees the district’s participation in Advanced Placement courses grew sharply, “from 5.7% to 31.1%,” and that administrators plan to expand AP offerings into art and world history to widen access. She said district performance data reported through the state’s SLEDs platform placed Keyport within typical growth ranges, with an ELA MSGP reported at 44 and a math MSGP at 53. Comparative proficiency rates presented to the board showed district ELA at about 45.7% and math at about 40.1%.
The superintendent said the district secured “more than $1.5 million in additional funding” from grants and community partnerships to support AP, AI and computer‑science courses, high‑impact tutoring, literacy, dual enrollment and other programs. She said the district was one of 55 awardees of the competitive New Jersey High Impact Tutoring Grant and expected to extend summer and bridge programming for students in grades 1–12 as a result.
Despite those investments, Dr. Seavoya flagged attendance as an ongoing priority. She reviewed chronic‑absenteeism trends over the past three years and discussed high‑school fluctuations that board members and administrators described roughly as 19 → 12 → 17 (reported during the presentation). Assistant/administrator Mr. Waters and other trustees said prolonged vacations, suspensions and illness have contributed to chronic absenteeism in some cases and staff are implementing targeted actions to bring rates down.
The presentation highlighted curriculum and assessment work: the district will review and adopt a new 8–12 mathematics series, roll out a new 6–12 literacy series, continue K–5 literacy implementation, and extend literacy coaching. Dr. Seavoya also described use of local benchmark tools (I‑Ready and DIBBLES) and said the district plans to extend DIBBLES testing for more diagnostic information.
Facilities and municipal coordination were addressed: Dr. Seavoya said district administrators walked campus with Borough representatives (including Hector Herrera and a borough engineer) to identify sidewalk, drainage and parking needs. She reported the borough committed to addressing a large hole on Jackson Street and drainage near the pre‑K playground, with repairs targeted for early fall (the superintendent referenced a potential Labor Day timeline).
On student supports, the superintendent described expanded preschool programming focused on early literacy and social‑emotional learning using the Pyramid Model and said the district will designate two staff (Miss White and Miss Gllesman) as “Handle With Care” trainers to replace the prior CPI training model. She also noted schoolwide initiatives such as therapy‑dog visits, mental‑health assemblies and partnerships that provide family engagement and wellness services.
Dr. Seavoya previewed personnel and policy items due for board action, including a reallocated high‑school mathematics teacher position and several annual resolutions (bank depositories, cooperative sports, state contract purchasing) scheduled for the next regular agenda. She reminded trustees that superintendent evaluations must be completed by Sunday and said the board would discuss evaluations and board goals in a scheduled closed session.
Board members asked clarifying questions about the borough’s repair timeline, the economically disadvantaged rate (discussed as roughly 60%, up from 54%), and how benchmark and state reporting data would be reconciled. The superintendent acknowledged some data fields on the SLEDs platform require correction and said staff are following up with the state to resolve inaccuracies.
The public portion of the workshop contained no public comments. A motion was made to adjourn the public meeting and move into closed session for the superintendent evaluation; the transcript cuts off before a final vote tally was recorded.
