One item at the meeting was the detailed presentation on the school climate survey, led by Mr. Sabino. He emphasized the importance of assessing the educational environment through this survey, which is part of the School Climate Transformation Project in partnership with Rutgers University. The survey aims to evaluate various aspects, such as academic culture, supportive relationships, student social-emotional learning, and safety. Mr. Sabino stressed that understanding students’ perceptions of safety is important for strategic planning and internal review.

The presentation included a breakdown of mean scores across several categories, with the highest scores relating to feelings of safety and supportive staff-student relationships. Conversely, academic culture and classroom practice received the lowest scores, with only 37% of students feeling motivated by their academic environment. The board discussed strategies to enhance parental participation in the survey, which had declined since its peak participation during the pandemic.

Discussions moved to the NJ Sky platform, which is used for conducting surveys. The platform is undergoing enhancements to allow for increased customization, although there is currently limited comparative data from other districts. Future collaboration with local districts is being considered to gather domain averages, providing useful contextual data for Watchung Hills.

The meeting also covered the shared services regionalization study, with plans for a Roundtable discussion in November to improve communication between the district and PTO/PTA leadership. This initiative aims to engage parents and the broader community, with a significant stakeholder meeting scheduled for December to gather further insights. The study focuses on special education, transportation, and curriculum alignment, with a completion timeline set for mid-2025.

During the public comment period, a clarification was raised regarding affordable housing requirements, which could impact community planning sooner than previously anticipated. The board then moved to action items, with all motions carried smoothly.

In other reports, Mr. Morrison provided an update on the New Jersey educator evaluation review task force. The task force recommended eliminating student growth objectives (SGOs) due to their limited educational value and administrative burden. Proposed changes include redesigning the evaluation structure to focus on student learning outcomes and supporting professional growth. The recommendations suggest simplifying the evaluation rating system and piloting new protocols in select districts.