Longtime SOMSD staff member Ann Bodnar appointed as new assistant superintendent

Longtime SOMSD staff member Ann Bodnar appointed as new assistant superintendent

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Superintendent of Schools Ronald G. Taylor announced the appointment of Ann Bodnar, a more than 20-year South Orange–Maplewood School District employee and district alumna, to the position of assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction effective immediately, according to an Aug. 30 press release. The SOMA Board of Education approved […]

SOMSD holds virtual safety and security forum

SOMSD holds virtual safety and security forum

MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — On Monday evening, Aug. 29, the South Orange–Maplewood School District held a virtual safety and security forum. Though there were some technical issues with the video, the event provided a lot of reassuring information regarding the safety of district students and staff. The event’s panelists were Superintendent of Schools […]

Petition asks SOMA school district to restore courtesy busing

Petition asks SOMA school district to restore courtesy busing

MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — As the South Orange–Maplewood School District moves into the second year of implementing its Intentional Integration Initiative, parents and guardians are pushing back on the elimination of courtesy busing for the upcoming school year, which begins on Sept. 8. The Board of Education voted in April to eliminate the […]

Jefferson Elementary School renamed to Delia Bolden Elementary School

Jefferson Elementary School renamed to Delia Bolden Elementary School

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood Board of Education, as per Resolution 4320, approved the renaming of Jefferson Elementary School to the Delia Bolden Elementary School during its meeting on Wednesday, June 29. Delia Bolden was the first African American woman to graduate from Columbia High School, which she did in 1912. Upon her graduation, […]

SOMSD superintendent: Data shows suspension moratorium is a good start

SOMSD superintendent: Data shows suspension moratorium is a good start

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Seven months after the South Orange–Maplewood Board of Education passed a resolution that placed a moratorium on most suspensions and school removals, Superintendent Ronald Taylor said in an update at the board’s May 16 meeting that the pause reduced the risk of suspensions across races, even though there are […]

Officials, leaders in Essex County call for stricter gun laws following massacre

Officials, leaders in Essex County call for stricter gun laws following massacre

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The nation was again plunged into despair on May 24 when a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, injuring many others. This was the third-deadliest school shooting in a U.S. school, after the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 and the Sandy Hook Elementary […]

US News ranks CHS as No. 59 among NJ public high schools

US News ranks CHS as No. 59 among NJ public high schools

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood School District announced that Columbia High School was ranked No. 59 as one the best public high schools in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report.  This publication shared on April 26 that 406 New Jersey schools out of a total of 445 were ranked on six factors […]

South Orange–Maplewood School District breaks ground on South Mountain School project

South Orange–Maplewood School District breaks ground on South Mountain School project

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood School District broke ground on another portion of the Long Range Facilities Plan at South Mountain Elementary School on March 22, starting the 18-month process to build nine new classrooms, a courtyard and a revamped playground. The fifth project to get off the ground, South Mountain’s expansion is […]

SOMSD boasts 10 finalists in 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program

SOMSD boasts 10 finalists in 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program

MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood School District has announced that 10 Columbia High School students have been selected as finalists in the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.  The National Merit Scholarship Corporation honors students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Finalists will compete for […]

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