Wednesday, March 6, 2013
District looks to expand preschool program by 30 children.
The Morris School District Board of Education approved its preliminary 2013-14 school budget at Monday night's meeting following a presentation from Superintendent Dr. Thomas Ficarra. "This [budget] is up 2 percent [from last year]," he said. "We're happy that we were able to provide the programming we did, that we maintained all the regular school programs without any cuts and still managed to stay at the 2 percent cap." The budget is set at $105,427,066, with $101,721,741 as general fund expenses, $2,642,995 as special revenue and $1,062,330 for debt service. There will be a general fund tax levy of $82,423,847 and a debt service tax levy of $863,548. "If you live in the town, your taxes will actually go down by $67 and if you live in …
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Most waited until near midnight Monday to speak at Board of Education meeting.
They waited, and waited. Finally, after 11 p.m., audience members attending Monday's Board of Education meeting got the opportunity to speak about Linda Murphy, the former principal of Morristown High School. Comments continued past midnight.
Accepts position as director of human resources and community engagement after five-hour Board of Education meeting Monday; hundreds in attendance ask why.
The line of people waiting to give former Morristown High School Principal Linda Murphy hugs and wish her well seemed like it would never end. As tears were shed, the scene felt like a funeral procession. In a way, it was. The Board of Education was expected to reassign Murphy, the high school principal for seven years and a fixture as a math teacher and vice principal in the district for decades, to be the new principal of Lafayette Learning Center, a preschool. However, Murphy announced she plans to retire at the end of the 2012-13 school year and was instead appointed as the district's director of human resources and community engagement. As Monday night moved into Tuesday morning, with the clock at about 12:30 a.m., the Board of …
40.805262
-74.475897
Lafayette Learning Center, Morris School District
31 Hazel St, Morristown, NJ
/articles/linda-murphy-removed-as-principal-of-morristown-high-school
69570
/locations/7329588
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Several students, parent speak out against possible cutting of Classics Academy program at Morristown High School.
How many voices of opposition does it take to change minds? Several past, current and hopeful students of the Classics Academy at Morristown High School hope their voices may have been just enough to prevent the young program from being removed from the 2012-13 academic calendar. Those students, and a parent, spoke before the Board of Education Tuesday night after hearing recently the program–which started as a pilot program two years ago–is in danger of being dropped by the Morris School District due to expected lack of interest. In its third year, only six incoming seniors have signed up for the course, down from 13 in the 2011-12 school year and nine in its augural year. According to the Morristown High School website, the Classics …
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Township resident running unopposed in April 17 election.
Serving on the Morris School District Board of Education is nothing new to Leonard Posey. After all, he did it for 10 years, from 1996 to 2006. But, when former BOE member Marie Fornaro resigned last year, the Morris Township resident rejoined to finish up the year for her. Now, on Tuesday, he is running to finish the remaining two years in an unopposed election. For Posey, who first moved to Morristown in 1993 and later moved to the Township, education has always been a cornerstone for him and his family. "My two parents went through segregated schools in the south," he recalled, his father in South Carolina, his mother in North Carolina. "They always placed a high value and importance on education. It was always important. "And, I've …
Morristown resident running unopposed in elections on April 17.
Having been heavily involved in her daughter's time through Woodland School, Thomas Jefferson, Frelinghuysen and then Morristown High School–as well as involvement in the Girl Scouts and recreation sports–Jeanette Thomas is no stranger to the Morris School District. But, serving on the Board of Education? "It was not even in my thought process," said Thomas, who has lived in Morristown since 1999. "It didn't cross my mind." But, when Sandra McNeill resigned from the BOE earlier this year, "I took it as an opportunity to not only see what goes on inside the school district, but also make a difference," she said. On Tuesday, Thomas is running unopposed in Board of Education elections to complete that term she took over earlier this year. "…
Monday, April 16, 2012
She is running for a seat on the Board of Education on April 17.
All hands on deck. For Morris Educational Foundation member and Morris Township resident Fran Rossoff–running for one of two contested seats on the Morris School District Board of Education on April 17–everyone is needed when it comes to education. "Our staff does a wonderful job. They have an overwhelming job, especially in the language arts department, and that filters into other subject areas," she said, noting a gap in test scores for those where English is not their first language. "I think the district has been aware of this issue for a long time. Many people have thought there may have been easy solutions, but we have all come to realize there are no easy solutions. "It's a child by child issue," the member of the MEF Grants …
Board of Education member running for third term on April 17.
Here's an example of how much education and Ann Rhines have been connected: When she retired a fifth-grade teacher at Alexander Hamilton School in 2001, after teaching in the Morris School District since 1962, she said her family was worried about her. What would she do? Their initial concerns turned out to be unfounded, since Rhines, running for re-election to the Board of Education Tuesday, has found plenty to do. And, yes, much of it remains involved in education. Can you blame her? "This is my 50th year with Morristown students," the Morris Township resident said as she prepared to run for her third three-year term on the Board. "It's a real passion of mine. It's obvious, but I'm a real cheerleader." Rhines, the only former educator …
Morris Township resident running for the Board of Education on April 17.
Board of Education candidate Helene Barsamian knows six languages. While that sounds impressive–and, it is–it's something the Morris Township resident learned out of necessity and environment as a child in Romania. Five of those languages–French, German, Romanian, Italian, Armenian–came from growing up in a multi-cultural household and by living in close geographical proximity to Italy. English came by the time she was nine-years-old. And children in the Morris School District, Barsamian said, can aspire to similar feats. "I would like to see language instruction started earlier than it does now," she said. "If you start a child in Kindergarten or even earlier, it gets easier. It's just speaking and hearing. They don't have to thnik of …
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Also, Board of Education meeting being held at same time.
This usually doesn't happen. Usually, the Morris School District holds its Board of Education meetings on alternate Mondays, with the Town Council holding its meetings on alternate Tuesdays. Not this week. As our lucky children bask in Spring Break, we set off for a pair of meetings, both set for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Board of Education will meet at its usual location, the Lafayette Learning Center, while Town Council will convene at its regular spot, Town Hall. While the BOE agenda is expected to be light, it is only a week before board elections (you will note the Morris School District did not opt to move its elections to November, as many districts in New Jersey did this year). Several BOE seats, as well as a budget are in play. So…
40.79093
-74.47466
Morristown Town Hall
200 South St, Morristown, NJ
/articles/council-meeting-board-of-ed-on-the-same-night
67851
/locations/6766390
40.805262
-74.475897
Lafayette Learning Center, Morris School District
31 Hazel St, Morristown, NJ
/articles/council-meeting-board-of-ed-on-the-same-night
69570
/locations/6766391
jab
11:06 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2013
Same BS, year after year, to justify tax increases. Ficarra is working with an irresponsible board, and there isn't much he can do. I am sorry for him. For those of you that are happy with the second rate education paid for by the township citizenry, I am sure that you're happy for having suckers pay for the so-called excellent education (the numbers and statistics add up to a mediocre education… more ›