Alyssa Hayes, representing ETSD Parents for Improved Literacy Outcomes, criticized the district’s literacy curriculum, describing it as an outdated model that relies on guessing words from pictures instead of systematic phonics instruction. Hayes expressed concern that 50% of Evesham students were not reading at grade level, despite the district’s favorable socioeconomic conditions. She implored the board to enact a “fundamental shift” in reading instruction, emphasizing that the current curriculum left many students unprepared and lagging behind state standards.

Renee Pico, a parent and reading interventionist, echoed Hayes’ sentiments, highlighting the district’s failure to meet literacy goals for three consecutive years. She called for structured phonics instruction, stating that sporadic phonics lessons were ineffective. Pico emphasized that the issue was not merely financial but one of priorities and commitment from the district. She urged the board to prioritize data-driven resources for teachers to ensure all students receive a quality education.

Christa Ianelli, speaking on behalf of the parents’ group, criticized the misalignment of the district’s literacy practices with state standards and research. She called for the adoption of a comprehensive, research-aligned core English Language Arts program, arguing that current programs like Readers and Writers Workshop and Fontas and Pinnell were ineffective. Ianelli underscored the need for compliance with state mandates for professional development in structured literacy.

The meeting also addressed transportation challenges that had marred the start of the school year, described by the Superintendent as the roughest in six years. Issues stemmed from inconsistently built routes and over-reliance on software without sufficient human oversight. Communication failures exacerbated the situation, leading to frustrations among parents. To address these issues, the board discussed organizational changes, including the appointment of Brianna Worm as the new transportation coordinator, and plans to hire additional support staff to improve communication.

A parent named Julia Smemell raised specific concerns about her son, who is developmentally disabled, facing lengthy bus rides that required waking up at 5:15 a.m. Smemell described the situation as detrimental to her son’s readiness for learning, calling for changes in transportation logistics to ensure more reasonable commute times for students with special needs.

In response to the public comments, a board member acknowledged the advocacy efforts of the literacy group and expressed agreement with the need for accountability and improvement. The board member promised to address the transportation issues and follow up on the specific concerns raised by Smemell.

Superintendent Smith’s State of the Schools presentation provided an overview of student assessment performance, noting areas of both achievement and concern. The district’s performance in the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA) showed significant improvements in various grades over time, though it fell short in others, prompting discussions about targeted interventions. The presentation also outlined the transition to a new adaptive assessment format, requiring quick adaptation by teachers and staff.

The meeting included a presentation on the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA) for language arts and math, with a new field test introduced this year. Discussion also covered the Access for English Language Learners (ELL) assessment, emphasizing language acquisition across listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The data review process was introduced, with teachers collecting fall baseline assessments for students in grades K to 2 to track progress and identify areas of struggle.