Thursday, March 21, 2013
Final budget for 2013-2014 school year unchanged from tentative plan OK'd March 4.
The Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education gave final approval to the $39,801,185 budget for the 2013-2014 school year Thursday, without receiving any public comment or making any changes from its introduction March 4. The final tally includes debt service and $456,972 in grants not reported with the tentative budget approved earlier. The budget is 1.9 percent higher than the current year's, and includes $27,641,488 to be raised by taxes (which increase by 2 percent). Due to the differences in proportion of assessments in the school's sending districts, the tax impact breakdown varies between the townships: Before the unanimous vote approving the budget (with Long Hill resident Peter Falzarano absent), Superintendent of Schools Frances…
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Watchung Hills Regional
108 Stirling Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/high-school-board-adopts-39-8-million-budget
757983
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Wednesday, March 6, 2013
State, county officials meet with area school superintendents to discuss procedures, plans.
State education and county law enforcement officials are hoping to create streamlined emergency response plans for schools, in the wake of the shooting death at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, Conn. At Monday's Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Frances Stromsland reported on a March 1 meeting of local school officials with members of the New Jersey Department of Education's Office of School Preparedness and the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office. Dr. Stromsland said the officials want to compile information on schools' emergency plans in order to create uniform responses to potential threats. "It was discussed, and agreed upon, that there needs to be more uniformity in response measures that …
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Watchung Hills Regional
108 Stirling Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/school-security-getting-a-closer-look
757983
/locations/8958111
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
After hearing two proposals, board members choose Hazard, Young and Attea.
The Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education selected Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, of Rosemont, Ill., to conduct the search for a new superintendent after Frances Stromsland retires at the end of the year. At Monday's meeting, board members heard proposals from New Jersey School Boards Association representative Bernard Baggs and Bill Librera and Dwight Pfennig, of Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates. The NJSBA had assisted in recent superintendent searches for the Green Brook and Watchung school districts, while HYA was selected for Warren Township's search. Both proposals outlined a similar process for the search, beginning with helping the board identify criteria sought in the next superintendent, with input from the public and …
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Watchung Hills Regional
108 Stirling Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/watchung-hills-board-hires-firm-for-superintendent-search
757983
/locations/8899284
Watchung Hills Regional drops plans for split ceremony if weather turns bad.
After hearing from students upset about the possibility of splitting Watchung Hills Regional graduation into two sessions if weather doesn't allow the school to hold the ceremony outside, school officials modified the plan to enable all of the students to graduate together. But the new plan limits each student to having one parent present in the Performing Arts Center, while other family members will have to watch from the south auditorium or a cafeteria. The plan, which still calls for a ceremony on the morning of June 21 in Tozier Stadium unless forced inside, was reviewed by Principal George Alexis, who noted the plan to have split ceremonies was "not warmly embraced by everyone." "Taking the feedback, and in the spirit of cooperation…
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Watchung Hills Regional
108 Stirling Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/graduation-plans-tweaked-more-changes-may-be-coming
757983
/locations/8747222
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Frances Stromsland says she'll 'miss the people' more than the long days.
The Watchung Hills Board of Education accepted a letter of resignation from Superintendent Frances Stromsland Tuesday night, voting after she read an emotional letter expressing her love of the school. Dr. Stromsland will retire at the end of the school year. "It has been my distinct honor and pleasure to serve as leader of this distirct and now look forward to my next chapter," she said. Dr. Stromsland said she came to Watchung Hills Regional in 2001, and "recognized very quickly that it is a very special place." Her tenure as superintendent began in the midst of major growth for Watchung Hills, as enrollment doubled and the staff grew substantially. "I often worried about the impact and challenges of not having proper space or enough …
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Watchung Hills Regional
108 Stirling Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/watchung-hills-stromsland-announces-retirement
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/locations/8657080
Monday, December 3, 2012
Completed audit includes no recommendations.
The annual audit of Watchung Hills Regional's accounts and procedures came up empty-handed, finding no areas to recommend changes in procedures. According to auditor Ralph Piccone, of Lerch, Vinci and Higgins, of Fair Lawn, this marked the second consecutive year in which the auditors did not have any recommendations for the board. "We audit close to 80 districts each year and very few do not have recommendations," Piccone said. Watchung Hills Regional Board President Robert Horowitz praised Business Administrator Tim Stys and his staff, and added, "These kinds of results don't just happen." "The four towns that send money each year should feel good that this high school operates in the highest standards," Horowitz said. Board member …
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Watchung Hills Regional
108 Stirling Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/high-school-audit-proves-district-s-highest-standards
757983
/locations/8293115
Departing Watchung Hills Regional board members close a chapter.
Monday's final meeting of the Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education for the year also capped the long school board careers of Peter Fallon and Paul Seelig, two members credited with guiding the school through several tulmultuous years. And while the other board members happily sang their praises, that didn't mean a little good-natured ribbing couldn't be added. "It's not often I want to say 'thank you' to a lawyer for doing anything—but in your case, I'm happy to," board member Gerry Binder said to Fallon, an attorney with Coughlin and Duffy, a law firm in Morristown. Binder and other board members praised Fallon's guidance to the board during the recent teacher contract negotiations, and his input on school policies and contracts. …
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Watchung Hills Regional
108 Stirling Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/farewell-to-fallon-seelig-at-board-meeting
757983
/locations/8292979
Monday, August 20, 2012
And the one why it won't happen.
2013 Project Graduation co-chairwomen Marie Mluzan and Mary Lou DiRosa visited the Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education meeting Monday to offer their take on David Letterman's famous Top Ten Lists. After researching ways to improve the annual drug- and alcohol-free post-graduation party, Mluzan and DiRosa wanted to suggest moving the event to East Hanover's Funplex amusement center. This year, Project Graduation was held at the Morris-Union Jointure Development Center, which is the organizers' second choice. Here, then, are the Top Ten Reasons to Have Project Graduation at Funplex: And the Top Reason to Move Project Graduation: There are built-in activities. Despite all those reasons to hold Project Graduation at Funplex, there was …
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Watchung Hills Regional
108 Stirling Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/top-ten-reasons-to-move-project-graduation
757983
/locations/7643441
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Aiming to get better control over outside fundraising, it may restrict many Watchung Hills groups' ability to help students.
The Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education approved a new policy aimed at eliminating pay-to-play fundraising requirements for students, as well as shed light on the fundraising and spending plans of outside boster clubs. But the new policy comes with criticism from the parent-run groups, which say its one-size-fits-all wording may stifle the groups' ability to help students. "The Touchdown Club is completely behind the board's effort to bring forward a policy," Glenn Mastrobattista, president of football booster club, said. "We just want to work with them to get something that works for everybody." The policy will require clubs and support organizations conducting fundraising to help support any school team or club present its …
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Watchung Hills Regional High School Board of Education
108 Stirling Rd, Warren, NJ
/articles/watchung-hills-board-oks-new-boosters-policy
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/locations/7514219
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Watchung Hills Regional board members wonder if some costs are too high.
At Monday's Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education meeting, board members approved a rental agreement with Rock Ice Center for the upcoming varsity hockey season. But the $34,125 cost to use the Dunellen facility raised some eyebrows on the board. "That seems high—this money could be used for other things," board member Lisa DeMizio said. She argued the district could use the money to support other student programs which reach a greater number of students. But others noted the board provides varying levels of support to the different programs, depending on a particular group's needs and organization. "Contrast that to the Ultimate Frisbee team—we buy them four Frisbees and some shirts," board President Robert Horowitz said. Board …
M Tanner
12:04 pm on Friday, March 22, 2013
Why is there such an inequity with assessments for the towns? It seems that Warren is paying much more than other towns. How come? more ›