Hillside School Board Evaluates New Member Candidates Amidst Achievements

In a development, the Hillside School Board conducted interviews for a vacant board member position during a recent meeting. This process was at the core of the board’s agenda, drawing attention as four candidates presented their experience and vision for addressing challenges within the district. The candidates discussed strategies to manage the potential impact of a new charter school, the importance of mental health and recovery post-COVID-19, and the need to maintain fiscal responsibility while ensuring equitable funding.

The interviews were a focal point, with each candidate offering a unique perspective on overcoming the issues facing the district. They spoke about the relevance of mental health support, integrating technology to manage district data, ensuring students’ basic needs are met, and fostering community engagement.

The candidates addressed the potential financial implications should a charter school be approved in Hillside. The board examined each candidate’s ideas on maximizing resources, collaborating with stakeholders, and making difficult financial decisions with a focus on fiscal responsibility.

The superintendent’s report celebrated the scholars, students, and student athletes for their accomplishments. An emphasis was placed on the district’s mission and vision, which aim to foster global citizenship among students. The superintendent set a collective goal for students to read 15,000 books by the end of March.

The Hillside Educational Foundation presented its mission and upcoming projects, including teacher grants, scholarships for seniors, and a fundraiser aimed at supporting education. A notable initiative introduced was the Walk of Fame, designed to honor distinguished individuals from the Hillside community.

Academic achievements were highlighted, with the district’s Junior Engineers and academic decathlon team receiving recognition for their successes. The decathlon team’s coach shared an overview of the students’ performance in the competition and their preparation for the upcoming state competition. The students themselves took the opportunity to express their gratitude for the support of the board, teachers, and parents.

The principal of Hillside School discussed the school’s track team’s triumphs and the recent National Honor Society induction, emphasizing a positive school image and the significance of programs like Sunshine tutoring. Furthermore, the Hillside Theater Company acknowledged the board’s support for the arts, as they introduced their upcoming musical.

A student’s powerful speech on colorism highlighted the meeting, drawing attention to the issue of discrimination based on skin color and its impact within the school community.

Principal Willard presented the high school’s accomplishments, touching on priority goals, student well-being, and partnerships, as well as communication efforts through the Hiller publication and website. Public comments included inquiries about the Family Success Center signage and concerns regarding the proposed charter school’s effect on Hillside.

The board also recognized the significance of community engagement, as members praised academic achievers and discussed plans for future community sessions.

Towards the end of the meeting, the board voted to enter an executive session to discuss confidential matters concerning personnel, pending or anticipated litigation, and attorney-client privileges.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.
Superintendent:
Erskine R. Glover
School Board Officials:
Laquana Best, Donald Howard, Jr., Jo-Ann Horton Givens, Helen Egwaikhide, Cheryl Cillo, Pinchas Shapiro, Aniyah Parks, Calvin Lofton, Raymond L. Hamlin, Esq. (Attorney)

Receive debriefs about local meetings in your inbox weekly:

Trending meetings
across the country:

Meeting Date
Filter by bodytypes
Agricultural Advisory Committee
Airport Advisory Board
Art and Culture Board
Beach Committee
Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Board of Elections
Board of Health
Borough Council
Building Committee
Cannabis Control Board
Cemetery Commission
Charter Revision Commission
Child and Family Services Board
City Council
City Identity Committee
Code Enforcement Board
College Board of Trustees
Community Appearance Board
Community Preservation Committee
Community Redevelopment Agency
County Council
Disability Advisory Committee
Economic Development Board
Elderly Affairs Board
Electric Advisory Board
Environmental Commission
Financial Oversight Board
Historic Preservation Commission
Housing Authority
Human Relations Committee
Human Resources Committee
Insurance Fund
Land Use Board
Library Board
Licensing Board
Mental Health Commission
Municipal Alliance
Open Space Commission
Oversight and Review Committee
Parent Advisory Board
Parking Authority
Parks and Gardens Commission
Parks Commission
Pension Board
Planning Board
Police Review Board
Port Authority
Property Assessment Board
Public Safety Committee
Recreation Commission
Redevelopment Agency
Rent Control Board
Rent Leveling Board
School Board
Sewerage Authority
Shade Tree Commission
Special Magistrate
Taxation & Revenue Advisory Committee
Tourism Board
Trails Committee
Transportation Board
Utility Board
Value Adjustment Board
Veterans Committee
Water Control Board
Women's Advisory Committee
Youth Advisory Committee
Zoning Board
Filter by County
FL
Bay County
Bradford County
Brevard County
Broward County
Clay County
Duval County
Escambia County
Gulf County
Hendry County
Highlands County
Hillsborough County
Indian River County
Lake County
Lee County
Leon County
Levy County
Liberty County
Manatee County
Marion County
Martin County
Miami-Dade County
Monroe County
Okaloosa County
Orange County
Osceola County
Palm Beach County
Pasco County
Pinellas County
Polk County
Putnam County
Santa Rosa County
Sarasota County
Seminole County
St. Johns County
Taylor County
Volusia County
Walton County
MA
Barnstable County
Berkshire County
Bristol County
Essex County
Franklin County
Hampden County
Hampshire County
Middlesex County
Norfolk County
Plymouth County
Suffolk County
Worcester County
MN
Anoka County
Becker County
Beltrami County
Benton County
Blue Earth County
Brown County
Carver County
Cass County
Chippewa County
Chisago County
Clay County
Cook County
Crow Wing County
Dakota County
Freeborn County
Goodhue County
Grant County
Hennepin County
Isanti County
Itasca County
Kanabec County
Kandiyohi County
Koochiching County
Lac Qui Parle County
Lyon County
Mcleod County
Morrison County
Mower County
Nicollet County
Olmsted County
Pipestone County
Polk County
Ramsey County
Rice County
Scott County
Sherburne County
Sibley County
St Louis County
Stearns County
Steele County
Waseca County
Washington County
Wright County
NJ
Atlantic County
Bergen County
Burlington County
Camden County
Cape May County
Cumberland County
Essex County
Gloucester County
Hudson County
Hunterdon County
Mercer County
Middlesex County
Monmouth County
Morris County
Ocean County
Passaic County
Somerset County
Sussex County
Union County
Warren County
NY
Bronx County
Kings County
New York County
Queens County
Richmond County
TN
Shelby County
Filter by sourcetypes
Minutes
Recording