CHS Principal Frank Sanchez returns to school
Columbia High School Principal Frank Sanchez was reinstated to his position in June after a tumultuous six months that saw him arrested on assault and child endangerment charges only to have them dropped after a grand jury hearing.
The South Orange and Maplewood School District Board of Education voted 6 to 1 with two abstentions to reinstate Sanchez to the position at an annual salary of $182,622.
Sanchez reinstatement came after several parents spoke in favor of his rehiring and after a lengthy campaign in support of him that included lawn signs, a GoFundMe fundraising drive and lobbying of the board of education.
Bennett, Brown, Kapadi win Board of Ed seats
The team of Bennett, Brown and Kapadia won the three open spots on the Board of Education. Deirdre Brown finished first with 9,731 votes, or 19.54%, Jeff Bennett was second with 9,110 or 18.29% and Bimal Kapadia took third with 8,173 or 16.41%. A total of seven people were seeking the three open seats. Three of the four other candidates also ran as a ticket; current Board President Qawi Telesford finished fourth with 6,939 votes or 13.93%, newcomer Bethany Joseph had 6,569 votes or 13.19%, current Board Vice President Arun Vadlamani had 5,327 votes or 10.70%. Paul Stephan ran as an independent candidate and pulled in 3,948 votes or 7.93%.
Maplewood resident wins gold at Paris Olympics
Maplewood resident Jackie Dubrovich won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics. The American fencer represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and won a gold medal in women’s team foil as part of Team USA. Born in Paterson, Dubrovich grew up in Riverdale.
She moved to Maplewood with her fiance, Brian Kaneshige, during the pandemic and trained at the New Jersey Fencing Alliance in the township with her husband as her coach. Dubrovich attended Pompton Lakes High School and graduated from Columbia University in 2016 with degrees in psychology, human rights, and Russian literature and culture.
Police raid house near CHS
Mushrooms and more than four pounds of illegal marijuana were seized by police in a raid that involved the use of aerial drones and a drug sniffing dog at a residence not far from Columbia High School and Our Lady of Sorrows school. On Nov. 13, members of the South Orange Police Department with assistance from the Orange Police Department and the Millburn Police Department executed a search warrant on Academy Street which resulted in the seizure of over four and a half pounds of illegal marijuana, mushrooms, cannabis edibles and about 32 ounces of Promethazine syrup.
Society forms to advocate for theater in Maplewood
The Maplewood Film Society was created this year to fight for a movie theater in town. The town has been working on a redevelopment plan for the vacant theater and surrounding buildings and the society has been pushing for the plan to include a theater. Angela Matusik and Lisa Cohen, founders of the Society, have put together a community of more than 600 residents who agree that having a place to watch films together is a needed and necessary ingredient for the town. The society held a backyard movie night and rallied people to attend the public meeting on the redevelopment plan.
SOMA Board of Ed cuts 28 positions in district
Board of Education members approved a $182 million budget for the 2024-2025 school year that eliminated 28 positions. The cuts were needed to close a $2.7 million budget deficit.
Among the most significant budgetary challenges that made a reduction in force necessary were a $5.3 million increase in payroll and benefits costs and a $1.57 million increase in the cost of paraprofessionals, officials said. Since the 2020-2021 school year, the cost of employee health benefits jumped more than 50 percent, or $6.5 million. Meanwhile, since the 2019-2020 school year – the year the pandemic shutdown began – the cost of paraprofessionals climbed 82 percent, or $4.6
million.
The approved budget includes a $3.7 million reduction in total federal, state, and local funds.
Baird reopens after a multiyear renovation
The Baird officially reopened in April, following a multiyear, $15 million renovation. A ribbon cutting was held with Mayor Sheena Collum inviting kids to join her on the steps for the ceremonial event before the doors opened and people flooded inside. The newly refurbished and enlarged building includes a full size basketball court, dance studio, craft room, screening room, a kitchen, a cafe, offices and meeting rooms. The space is expected to hold a variety of activities including classes in sports, dance, pilates, Tai Chi, Zumba, painting, clay and performing arts. There are tables and chairs on the decks outside facing the baseball and tennis courts. There is also an art gallery to provide a space for the work of emerging and established artists.
Protests and counter protests over conflicts
The ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza has led to protests and counter protests. Pro-Palestine rallies have been held weekly in both South Orange and Maplewood and in many cases, counter rallies have been held. The two sides have exchanged chants and heated words but the demonstrations have otherwise remained
peaceful.
Girl removed from game because of hair beads
The South Orange Maplewood School District filed a bias complaint with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association after a Columbia High School girls basketball player was disqualified for the first quarter of a game due to beads she was wearing in her hair.
During the game, the South Orange & Maplewood School District’s athletic director, Richard Porfido, spoke with the referee, citing 2022 rule changes made by the National Federal of State High School Associations (NFHS) including the permitting of hair adornments in all sports. The referee permitted the Columbia player to return to the game during the second quarter.
The SOMA district initially complained to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), which forwarded the complaint to the state Division of Civil Rights.
Voters approve sale of water system to NJAW
South Orange residents voted in favor of a referendum supporting the potential sale of its water system to New Jersey American Water. The Village Council had approved the ballot question for the upcoming general election in a 4-2 vote. The sale is expected to take six to nine months to complete. The future of the water utility had been an ongoing conversation for years and one that was studied for close to two years by a task force composed of residents, officials, and professionals.
Bing hired as SOMA district superintendent
The South Orange and Maplewood School District hired Jason Bing as superintendent of schools. A Summit resident, the 54-year-old Bing is married to a fellow educator and the father of an 11-year-old daughter. He is a Union Twp. native, graduate of Union High School, Class of 1987. Bing was hired after the district fired Superintendent Ronald Taylor following several issues that included bussing problems, a vote of no confidence in the superintendent from the teacher’s union, concerns about a plan to eliminate honors classes and a decision to cancel all Halloween activities in district schools.
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