The Serving our Community Since 1888 Item Municipal positions filled. August 31, 2006 New faces in DPW, construction departments. Page A2. 75 cents weekly of Millburn and Short Hills www.theitemonline.com EDUCATION School district earns top scores: ranked 3 By Harry Trumbore Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). At percent participation rate for each Brodow said the figure should ly guarded reviewing the New Jer- School during the 2004-05 school ofTheItem the same time, more than a quarter grade at the school. be 100 percent for the middle sey Monthly rankings, which year was 16.6 pupils. The average of the state’s 2,422 schools did not In Millburn, all five elementary school as well. appear in the magazine’s Septem- SAT score was 1,232 and the per- Although the new school year achieve AYP and have been placed schools, the middle school and Although he was pleased with ber issue. He said he could not see centage of students achieving doesn’t begin until next week, Mill- on an early warning list. Should high school met proficiency and Millburn’s perfect grades in the how the criteria determined the advanced proficiency on the burn public schools already have they fail to achieve AYP for two participation targets in standard- state reports, the superintendent final rankings and asked what the HSPA was 62 percent. Approxi- earned high grades on several years in a row, they are labeled ized tests administered last spring. remained guarded in his appraisal difference is between being ranked mately 95 percent score 3 or high- fronts. “schools in need of improvement” A second state report on the of the NCLB standards. first and second, or lower. er on AP tests and nearly 93 per- The high school has been and face sanctions under NCLB number of classes being taught by “While the goals are laudable,” The rankings reportedly are cent of graduates attend 4-year col- ranked third best in the state by regulations. “highly qualified teachers” (HQT) he said, “in practice, I’m not sure based on information from the leges. New Jersey Monthly magazine’s AYP calculations are based on showed 100 percent of all Millburn if it makes much of a difference for state report cards and take into This year, Millburn High School biennial ranking of high schools in the scores of standardized tests, schools except the middle school many schools.” consideration factors such as class finished behind McNair Academic the state and the entire district has such as the High School Proficien- were being taught by HQT. The number of schools that con- size, the number of teachers with High School in Jersey City and received passing grades in two cy Assessment (HSPA), the Grade Superintendent of Schools tinually fail to achieve AYP advanced degrees, the number of Tenafly High School. In past rank- reports issued this month by the Eight Proficiency Assessment Richard Brodow, however, said remains high, Brodow said. He AP courses offered and the num- ings by the magazine, Millburn has state Department of Education. (GEPA) and the NJASK tests Tuesday the 99.7 percent reported maintains the goal of NCLB to ber of students moving on to col- finished 11th in 2004, 13th in 2002 The state reports all Millburn administered to grades three as the percentage of middle school have 100 percent of students per- lege. and fifth in 2000. students met all standards for Ade- through seven. classes taught by HQT was the forming at a proficient level by According to the profile provid- “We’re very happy and proud of quate Yearly Progress (AYP) as Different grade levels must meet result of an error in the reporting of 2014 is unrealistic. ed in this year’s ranking, the aver- our students,” he said, “but I would mandated under the federal No proficiency targets and have a 95 certification to the state. The superintendent was equal- age class size at Millburn High be wary of all of these rankings.” WHAT WILL I NEED? SCHOOL BOND BOE approves ballot language A $21.3 bond referendum to lieu of debt service support, the fund construction at the middle State may determine to provide and high schools goes before town- support for the project by a State ship voters Tuesday, Sept. 26. grant in the amount of $4,177,442. At the Aug. 22 Board of Educa- If a State grant is provided, the tion meeting, board members amount of bonds to be issued by approved the final wording of the the School District shall be proposal that voters will see on the reduced by the amount of the ballot: grant. The amount of final eligible “The Board of Education of the costs as approved by the Commis- Township of Millburn in the Coun- sioner of Education is ty of Essex, is authorized: (a) to $10,443,606. The total cost of this construct additions to, and to ren- project includes $10,858,394 for ovate and rehabilitate, Millburn school facilities construction ele- High School and Millburn Middle ments in addition to the facilities School, and to purchase school efficiency standards developed by equipment and furniture for use the Commissioner of Education.” therein; (b) to spend for the fore- At the same meeting, the board going not exceeding $21,302,000; approved polling hours of 7 a.m. to and (c) to issue bonds of the school 9 p.m. district for the foregoing in a prin- Board members had voted at cipal amount not exceeding the June 19 board meeting to $21,302,000.” extend voting hours by opening the The second half of the proposal polls at 6 a.m. states the amount to be borne by Previously, the polls for school local taxpayers and that the state board elections have been open will pick up approximately 19 per- from 2 to 9 p.m. cent of the cost in debt service and “The original direction we got interest: was that we could, in fact, begin at “The local share of the cost of 6 a.m.,” Zeglarski, assistant super- the project is $17,124,558. State intendent for business, said, “but ADAM ANIK/THE ITEM support equal to the amount of on further reflection and a look at South Mountain School student Niamh Freeman, 6, chooses her supplies for school in the “Back to School” aisle at Walgreen debt service on $4,177,442 bonds of the statute, the election commis- the School District has been sion called back and said we had Drug Store on Morris Turnpike Tuesday afternoon. Niamh’s mother, Mary, took her children shopping in preparation for the approved by the Commissioner of to reverse ourselves.” opening of township public schools next Wednesday. Education pursuant to the Educa- Zeglarski said 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. tional Facilities Construction and was the “maximum window” Financing Act (P.L. 2000, c. 72). In allowable by law. HURRICANE KATRINA DEER MANAGEMENT A year later, volunteers reflect Advisory group set to report findings By Patricia Harris the state’s Division of Fish and of The Item Wildlife for a program that would begin early in 2007. Members of the mayor’s adviso- Mayor Daniel Baer said this ry committee on deer issues are week he does not expect the Com- scheduled to bring in their report at mittee to take action on the report Tuesday’s Township Committee at Tuesday’s session. The earliest meeting, which begins at 8 p.m. he foresees any action would be at The group was formed to the following meeting. research various methods of con- The mayor also thanked the trolling the deer population and five-member committee for its dili- offer the Committee guidance as gence, noting members have met PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT GERRARD PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA SULLIVAN they formulate the township’s almost weekly since the group’s Brian Gerrard stands inside the Johnson School in the Amanda Sullivan, right, poses with Antionette Love while community deer management pro- formation in April. Carrollton area of New Orleans, La. gram for this year. An application working in Shreveport, La., a year ago. would have to be filed this fall with SEE ADVISORY, PAGE B8 Students report on life today Sullivan recalls first phase Holiday closings in observance of Labor Day Editor’s note: Four town- Gerrard who attends Newark Editor’s note: Amanda Sul- tained an orphanage for girls. All township offices will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day. ship students volunteered for Academy in Livingston, and livan, a 1996 graduate of During that time, she lived an outreach program in New Molly Reckford a student at Millburn High School, gradu- through a Category 5 hurri- Also closed on Monday will be The Item office, banks and both local post Orleans this past June. The The Hudson School in Hobo- ated from Villanova Universi- cane. She recently returned to offices. The Millburn Free Public Library will be closed Saturday, Sunday trip to assist with rebuilding ken. Several of the students ty four years later with a dou- the township from Jamaica, the city, was sponsored by the provided The Item with their ble major in Spanish and where she worked on an and Monday. Phillips Exeter Academy in impressions of their trip to the sociology. She continued her orphanage relocation project, The recycling yard will be closed Monday and there will be no recycling Exeter, N.H. The students city devastated by Hurricane studies in Chile, then lived for and is preparing to travel to included Exeter students Katrina a year ago this week.