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Orange Board spotlights rising graduation rates, reopens Cleveland Street School and upgrades career-tech rooms
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Gerald Fitzhugh told the Orange Board of Education on Sept. 11 that graduation rates climbed to 94.1% in 2024, the Cleveland Street School reopened after 7.5 years in temporary space, and the district completed multiple summer facility upgrades including new cosmetology and culinary labs at Orange High School.
Orange Board of Education President Shawneque Johnson and Superintendent Dr. Gerald Fitzhugh opened the Sept. 11 public meeting with a report highlighting student outcomes and building work across the district.
Dr. Fitzhugh told the board the district's graduation rate rose from 79.8% in 2022 to 90% in 2023 and reached 94.1% in 2024, attributing the gains to coordinated efforts by guidance counselors, instructional staff, security and food-service teams, and school leadership. He thanked principals and executive staff for their roles in that improvement.
The superintendent also announced a virtual job fair set for Sept. 18 and recognized staff who helped relaunch the superintendent's convocation. He introduced instructional initiatives led by Dr. Blanton, who rolled out a new creative curriculum and has begun professional development sessions attended by roughly three-quarters of staff across buildings.
Facilities staff reported completion or major progress on several summer projects. Mr. Vasquez said boilers were replaced at Heywood Avenue School; chillers were replaced at Rosa Parks Community School and Park Avenue School; rooftop units and univents were installed at Orange High School; and new lockers were added at Orange Preparatory Academy of Inquiring and Innovation. Roof replacement work at John Robert Lewis and at the Orange Early Childhood Center is near completion, with flashing and gutters remaining.
At Orange High School the district unveiled renovated career and technical education spaces: a new cosmetology room and an upgraded culinary lab (converted from electric to gas). District staff said the buildings received a temporary certificate of occupancy and that inspectors have noted only minor punch-list items to address before programs begin in earnest.
Superintendent Fitzhugh also announced that Assistant Business Administrator Lamont Zachary earned the Certified Administrative School Finance and Operations (SFO) credential from the Association of School Business Officials International. Dr. Blanton was acknowledged for publishing a book titled "It Takes a Village to Raise a Reader," with a public reading scheduled Sept. 19 at the Orange Public Library.
The board president closed the superintendent's report and moved to routine business. Several board members expressed thanks to facilities and administrative staff for completing projects on tight schedules and emphasized continued coordination with the School Development Authority (SDA) on outstanding punch-list items and inspections.
