CHSSF continues to support grads seeking higher ed

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Columbia High School alumni and students gathered in the school’s library for the annual Columbia High School Scholarship Fund reception June 7, to meet the donors who provided the funds for their scholarships and share their continuing education plans. The 95-year-old nonprofit organization has given away more than $1.3 million in scholarships […]

Board of Ed re-issues RFP for superintendent search firm

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education unanimously agreed at a May 29 special meeting to begin anew the process to select a search firm for a new superintendent of schools. South Orange-Maplewood School District Business Administrator and BOE Secretary Paul Roth has thus issued a revised Request For Proposals for a superintendent […]

Parents urge BOE, district to keep Frye

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Public speaks at the May 21 South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education special meeting was full of passionate support for Seth Boyden Principal Damion Frye, who, a week prior had not been reappointed to his post for the 2018-2019 school year. More than two dozen community members — including many Seth Boyden parents, […]

District unveils plan for buildings, grades

MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Acting Superintendent Thomas Ficarra unveiled the South Orange-Maplewood School District’s long-range facilities and integration plan at the Board of Education’s May 14 meeting. In his presentation, Ficarra introduced a plan to renovate and upgrade the district’s school buildings while better integrating the schools by redrawing district lines. The plan […]

SOMSD preliminary budget tax impact is 2.3 percent

MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education unanimously approved the district’s preliminary budget for the 2018-2019 school year at its March 26 meeting. The approved preliminary budget comes in at $137,352,722, or slightly less than the budget of $137,374,530 originally presented at the board’s Feb. 20 meeting. The budget had […]

District reviews QSAC scores with BOE

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — South Orange-Maplewood interim Superintendent of Schools Thomas Ficarra and Clinton Elementary School Assistant Principal Timothy Beaumont presented the 2017-2018 New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum report to the Board of Education at its Nov. 20 meeting, revealing passing scores in four of the five categories that the process evaluates. […]

BPW to file lawsuit against school district over racial disparities

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The SOMA Black Parents Workshop announced its intention to file a lawsuit against the South Orange-Maplewood School District during a press conference Tuesday, Nov. 14, after data released by the district showed continued racial disparities and little improvement to the achievement gap in the district, especially at Columbia High […]

OCR update shows persisting problems

MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — A special report at the Oct. 16 Board of Education meeting showed that, despite some small gains, the South Orange-Maplewood School District is still failing to level the academic playing field for students regardless of race. In attempts to ensure that all students have the same opportunities, five years […]

SOMSD to hold town hall for elementary school families

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Elementary school families in the South Orange-Maplewood School District are invited to attend a town hall meeting with interim Superintendent of Schools Thomas Ficarra on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Jefferson Elementary School, 518 Ridgewood Road in Maplewood.