Hardyston board adopts five district goals, adds long‑range facilities planning and approves superintendent merit goals

Hardyston Township Board of Education members on Tuesday approved a slate of district and board goals for the 2025–26 school year and authorized merit goals for Superintendent Mike Ryder that tie part of his compensation to measurable outcomes.

The board adopted four draft goal areas presented by facilitator Kathleen Hellowatt — academic excellence, attendance and engagement, family and community partnerships, and positive school culture and staff collaboration — and agreed to add a fifth goal focusing on long‑range facilities planning and finance. The long‑range goal directs administration to identify maintenance needs, propose capital improvements (examples cited included LED signage, a playground and full building systems like air conditioning) and explore funding options including grants and, if necessary, a referendum.

"Goals move your district forward," Hellowatt told the board as she led members through the strategic plan connection and the objectives for each goal area. Superintendent Mike Ryder said the administration will translate the board'approved goals into action plans and quarterly updates that the superintendent will report back to the board.

Why it matters: The board'level goals set oversight priorities; the superintendent and administrative team are responsible for implementation. The board also voted to forward the superintendent's merit goals to the county superintendent for review, a step required because some merit targets affect non‑pensionable bonus pay.

Key details and targets

- Academic objectives include peer instructional coaching, expanded enrichment and use of local assessment data; the board generally resisted placing state test percentage targets in district goals and reserved numeric measures for merit goals and summative evaluation. - Attendance: the district reported chronic absenteeism falling from roughly 17% (earlier years) to 11.3% and most recently to 8.4%; Superintendent Ryder proposed a merit target of 5.9% or lower. - Community engagement: the district will pilot monthly community dialogue sessions (Sept.–June) with summaries and attendance reporting; the superintendent proposed participant surveys as evidence of success. - Staff culture: proposals included voluntary peer observations, wellness workshops and public recognition campaigns to support retention. - Facilities & finance: the new fifth goal calls for a needs assessment, capital improvement planning, and a finance plan that identifies potential grant sources and the threshold at which a referendum would be required.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve 2025–26 district goals: approved on roll call (motion carried). - Motion to approve 2025–26 board goals: approved on roll call (motion carried). - Finance and action items (F1–F13): approved; one abstention recorded on F13. - Facilities/operations (FO1): approved. - Curriculum items (CP1–CP4): approved. - Personnel (P1–P27): approved with P25 pulled from the motion because the position had not yet been filled.

From the superintendent: Ryder reported required July drills (fire and shelter‑in‑place), confirmed electricians completed the electrical upgrades to support AC and that 29 elementary classrooms will be outfitted with air conditioning for the start of the school year, and announced that both schools will participate in the "breakfast after the bell" program this year.

What comes next: The board approved the goals for submission to the county superintendent and expects to formally reapprove them after county review. Administration will produce action plans and quarterly progress reports tied to the goals.

Who said it (examples)

- "Goals move your district forward," facilitator Kathleen Hellowatt said while walking the board through the strategic plan link. - Superintendent Mike Ryder noted safety drills and operational items: "Fire drill was held on July 23 and the shelter in place drill was held the day after on July 24."

Context: Board goals guide governance priorities and inform the superintendent's annual evaluation. The new facilities goal responds to recent capital work (including the AC project) and to board concerns about long‑term maintenance and funding.

The board moved into executive session at the end of the public meeting; no additional public votes were reported before the session began.