The meeting opened with a presentation by the district’s green team, which celebrated their achievement of a bronze award for sustainability practices. The team detailed their initiatives, including recycling programs that prevented 3,000 pounds of plastic from reaching landfills, and educational activities such as gardening projects. They emphasized surpassing the required 150 points for certification through efforts like collecting stretchy plastics and old sneakers and organizing a “Sustainable Sunday” farmers market. The team also discussed future plans to integrate sustainability education into the curriculum and collaborate with the Department of Public Works to raise community awareness.

The green team’s accomplishments were met with praise from board members, who suggested aiming for a silver award, though the team acknowledged the challenges involved. The board members expressed appreciation for the team’s contributions to environmental stewardship and the positive impact on the community.

In another key focus of the meeting, the board addressed the adoption and revision of artificial intelligence (AI) policies. The agenda included the reading and adoption of 15 policies, with three additional policies slated for a first reading. A board member highlighted their recent attendance at a workshop with Strauss Esme, the organization responsible for drafting the AI policy. They suggested a review of AI policies to develop a potential statewide framework, citing the need for consistency across educational levels to prevent student confusion.

The board discussed the initial version of the AI policy, approved in spring, which was later deemed insufficient for the district’s needs. The revised version aims to better reflect Denville’s requirements, facilitating the creation of an AI plan. Concerns were also raised about student anxiety over potential plagiarism accusations when using AI for assignments. The board ultimately approved the AI policy unanimously via roll call vote.

The meeting also featured a presentation on student performance, revealing encouraging improvements in standardized test scores. The district’s eighth graders scored notably high in English Language Arts (ELA), with 88% proficiency compared to the state’s 57% average. The presentation included a cohort analysis, tracking student progress over multiple years and highlighting consistent improvements in ELA scores, particularly in the fifth grade. However, some grades experienced slight declines, notably in sixth-grade math performance.

The board acknowledged the progress made and the areas needing improvement, with a focus on addressing performance gaps stemming from the pandemic. The ongoing implementation of new strategies to bridge these gaps includes programs targeting foundational skills disrupted by the pandemic, such as the Heggerty program for phonemic awareness and additional resources for third to fifth graders.

The meeting also touched on disparities in teaching staff experience between Riverview and Lake View schools. It was noted that Lake View’s teachers averaged 15 to 20 years of experience, while Riverview had a higher number of new teachers averaging three to four years. Despite this, no significant performance deficits were observed during the school year, though discrepancies in summer assessment data were attributed to varying experience levels. The board discussed mentorship programs in place to support new teachers and the challenges of setting benchmarks with the upcoming changes in standardized testing systems.

Superintendent updates included the commencement of early voting and recent district achievements, such as receiving the Browns award for sustainability. The business administrator announced an upcoming administrative review by the National School Lunch Program to assess compliance with meal provision standards.