A major focus of the meeting was the announcement that the Hammonton School District has completed its strategic planning initiative in collaboration with the New Jersey School Boards Association. The plan aims to guide the district’s direction over the next five years, incorporating input from various stakeholders, including students, parents, educators, and community members.

In addition to strategic planning, the board reviewed the results of the NJGPA, which assesses proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics among 11th-grade students. The district’s students scored an average of 787 in ELA, surpassing the state average of 768 by 19 points. The percentage of Hammonton students deemed “graduation ready” in ELA was 91.8%, higher than the state average of 80.7%. In mathematics, the district’s average was closely aligned with the state average at 736, with 57.3% of students meeting the graduation-ready benchmark, a slight increase from the previous year.

The meeting also covered updates on the district’s readiness for the upcoming school year, including the successful accommodation of more three-year-olds in the Pre-K program than ever before, and ensuring that all four-year-olds could be admitted without a waiting list. The board expressed satisfaction with the summer programs and the status of school safety measures, including functioning panic buttons and surveillance systems.