SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Parents in the South Orange–Maplewood School District asked the Board of Education at its meeting on Monday, Sept. 20, to decrease the 14-day quarantine requirement for students who have been exposed to COVID-19, asking the district to prioritize in-person learning by whatever means necessary. Before the meeting, the district […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The remains of Hurricane Ida slammed Essex County on Wednesday, Sept. 1, with flood water filling the streets of South Orange and Maplewood and the basements of many residents who live there. There was one death in Maplewood; South Orange Village President Sheena Collum wrote in a Facebook post […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood School District, through a partnership with MediMobile, will be offering weekly, voluntary COVID-19 testing at Columbia High School’s gymnasium parking lot on Valley Street. Testing is open to all district staff and students, the SOMA community, and any Essex County resident. We encourage staff, students and […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — South Orange–Maplewood Board of Education President Thair Joshua released a statement regarding the new contract for Superintendent of Schools Ronald G. Taylor on Aug. 27, in which he details the board’s new agreement with Taylor. “When Dr. Taylor came to our district with previous experience as a superintendent leading […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood Board of Education voted unanimously on Aug. 16 to adopt a resolution affirming the district’s commitment to renaming Jefferson Elementary School. Joining a growing list of school districts across the nation that are choosing to drop Thomas Jefferson as a namesake for their schools, the South […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood Board of Education has held two board retreats in the last three weeks in an effort to find its footing after a tumultuous spring and summer that began with the resignation of member Kamaljit Kaur Zubieta in May because of what she called “cliquish behavior” on […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange–Maplewood School District’s curriculum and instruction department announced Aug. 10 that the district’s entire K-12 curriculum will now be available online at https://bit.ly/SOMSDAtlas. The district has partnered with Rubicon Atlas to build out a digital public-facing platform for the K-12 curriculum, which is now open to SOMSD […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Aug. 6 that a 20-year-old Newark man had been arrested and charged with the June 6 murder of Moussa Fofana, an 18-year-old Maplewood resident and Columbia High School junior. Yohan Hernandez was charged with murder, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — After his contract was not renewed at the end of the 2020-2021 school year, former Columbia High School choir director Desmond Moulton requested a Donaldson hearing, which allows nontenured teachers to make their case before the Board of Education. The South Orange–Maplewood BOE did not take action at the […]
SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Chris Sabin was appointed to the South Orange–Maplewood Board of Education on July 12, chosen by the board members to complete the last six months of the term vacated by Kamaljit Kaur Zubieta on May 31. Sabin was chosen by a vote of 6-2; BOE members Elissa Malespina and […]